


Lost & Found (Apex Legends AU FanFic)

by katiemae4392



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:49:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22465960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katiemae4392/pseuds/katiemae4392
Summary: Elliott Witt's life has been filled with sadness and longing for answers. One fateful day brought an unexpected tragedy that made his life come crashing down. Years later, he seeks answers and revenge for everything that caused tragedy in his life.Along the way he meets a woman, who causes him to make a hard decision: Save her or seek out the truth.
Relationships: Mirage | Elliott Witt/Wraith | Renee Blasey
Comments: 22
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set in an Alternate Universe where Elliott Witt and Rene Blasey meet prior to the games. 
> 
> I've also diverted from the Apex Legends Cannon of the games being set 30 years after the IMC and Militia war ending. (Since Elliott would be MUCH younger set in the timeframe I wrote this fic in). The events in this story are set around the end of the IMC war and when Rene Blasey is still within the IMC facility.

The Frontier Wars were harsh and brutal. Having only been a young child, Elliott didn’t remember much of the actual war. He only remembered the moment his world came crashing down. His 3 older brothers all were a part of the militia force fighting against the IMC. One day while Elliott was in the front yard playing with a gadget he and his mother had created, two militia officers, dressed in their formal uniforms, walked up the walkway towards his mother. She shook her head and fell to the ground crying as she read a letter one of the officers had handed her. Elliott immediately ran to his mother, who was now sobbing into the shoulder of one of the officers. The other officer put a hand on Elliott’s shoulder, but did not say anything as Elliott’s mother wept. The officers escorted both Elliott and his mother inside to the couch. With a salute and formal words to his mother, they had left. They left Elliott’s mother to explain why he would never see his brother’s ever again. The 3 had been deployed to missions across the Frontier. With the war starting to come to an end, reports of various unit statuses were coming in, and all three of Elliott’s brothers were reported as MIA. 

That day changed his mother, she became a recluse and started drinking. She spent most of the days in her shop, tinkering with her holotech. When Elliott would go to her, she would push him away, still too heartbroken on losing her other sons. Years went on like this, but Elliott chose to distract himself with learning more about the technology his mother worked on, so he could someday work with her. At the young age of 16, Elliott built a prototype holo-suit based on his mother’s designs. On the day he was to present it to his mother, he found her unconscious in her lab. After rushing her to the hospital, the doctor’s told Elliott that his mother had advanced heart failure because of her years of alcohol abuse and would likely not survive through the night. Elliott spent the night in her hospital room, holding his mother’s hand, pleading with her to not leave him. The heart monitor went off, nurses rushing in as they all tried to get her heart beating again. Elliott was pushed aside as they tried again and again. Finally after a few minutes, the doctor called it. Elliott was allowed to say one final goodbye to his mother. He gave her one final kiss on the forehead and was lead out of the room.

Rage had built up in Elliott as he left the hospital. His mother’s death was caused by essentially a broken heart. A heart that had shattered the day she found out that her sons were gone. The last week of her life was the most time Elliott had ever spent with his mother. He couldn’t hate her for that though, how could he? She was the only family he had, well used to have.

Upon returning home, Elliott went to her lab. He sat in her chair and placed his head in his hands and began to cry. He cried more than he ever had before and eventually the tears turned into pure rage. He threw all of what was on his mother’s work bench on the floor. He stood up and threw the chair at the wall and he fell to his knees. Staring at the floor, waiting for himself to wake up from the nightmare he now had to live. While he scanned the contents of what he had just thrown onto the ground, Elliott stopped on a leather bound notebook that he always saw his mom writing in when he would poke his head into her lab. He grabbed the book and sat with his back against the wall. He began to read the first entry:

_ I lost so much of myself today. My sons…My babies...are gone. I don’t know what to do… _

Elliott sighed and flipped through the next few entries and stopped on one that had various diagrams on them.

_ It’s just dawned on me, month’s after the news came in about my boys. They could still be alive! MIA means MISSING in action...There’s still hope! I am going to develop something...ANYTHING I can use to find them. I’m not a soldier, but maybe with my holo-tech, I can sneak in and out of places to search for them… _

Elliott sat up as he continued to read through the entries his mother had made in the notebook. Hours went on as he flipped through page after page, taking down his own notes on another sheet of paper. When he came to the final entry, he stopped breathing for a moment.

_ My Dear Sweet Elliott, _

_ I am so sorry that I wasted so much of my life trying to chase after something I couldn’t achieve. I was selfish to not give you the love you deserved. I should have spent less time trying to figure out a way to find the sons I lost, and more time loving and caring for you. I was a terrible mother to you. I hope that someday you will forgive me. I am so proud of what you’ve done and I want you to know that I lov~... _

Tears ran down his face as Elliott read the last words his mother ever wrote, she didn’t even have a chance to finish her thoughts before her heart had finally given up. The last word trailed off down the page in a single scribbly line. Tears began to drip down onto the page, making the ink run. He calmly shut the book and lowered his head letting out a long, woeful sigh.

**\---TEN YEARS LATER---**

Elliott crouched in a collection of brush outside of the facility. The HUD within his helmet showed no signs of activity around the entrance. He slowly moved in closer and took cover when the doors were activated. A pair of technicians were carrying large containers to a truck parked outside the doors. Elliott narrowed his eyes at the pair, who seemed to be talking about something. He raised his rifle and pointed it at one of the technicians, flipping a switch as he did so. He had modified this rifle with a long range antenna that would allow him to get intel at a distance, making it perfect to eavesdrop on the two former IMC workers before him. 

“So why are we required to lug all of this shit out?” 

“Because the IMC are pulling the plug and we are supposed to preserve what we can in case we get funding again.” 

“Ok...well why can’t the scientists give us a hand? This is all of their crap anyway…”

“They’re busy figuring out which test subjects to keep and which ones to...uh...well  _ dispose _ of.” 

“Dude...that’s harsh…”

The two walked back towards the entrance. One of the technicians opened a keypad and started to enter a code. When the two disappeared inside, Elliott collapsed his rifle and slung it onto his back. He crept closer to the entrance and went to the keypad. He hooked up a transponder and it went to work decoding the entrance code. When the doors finally opened, Elliott pulled out a pistol from his thigh holster and entered the facility. 

There were a large number of storage containers in various states of being packed. Elliott took cover behind one of the larger crates when he heard voices approaching. The same two technicians walked by with a cart full of crates. When they were clear and outside, Elliott made his way down the hallway they had come down. 

_ Stange...No guards…  _ Elliott thought as he entered an office and shut the door behind him. He crouched behind the desk pulling out memory stick from his vest pocket and inserting it into the computer. He glanced over the monitor to make sure there was no movement in the hall. While the memory stick did its job of downloading all data from the drive, Elliott decided to search for specific data on the patients currently within the facility.

Asset List:

11289 - Status: FAILURE - Terminated 

12867 - Status: POSSIBLE SUCCESS - Sent to Cryo-stasis Facility

22479 - Status: FAILURE - Terminated 

33715 - Status: POSSIBLE SUCCESS - Sent to Cryo-stasis Facility

49352 - Status: FAILURE - Terminated 

54119 - Status: INCONCLUSIVE - Terminated

61137 - Status: FAILURE - Termination Pending

Elliott read over each asset profile and cursed under his breath when he found that most of the information was redacted from this computer. When the download was complete, Elliott pulled the memory stick out and returned it to his vest pocket. Before leaving, he took a mental note of where the two assets that were to be terminated were located. He slowly opened the door of the office and peered out, seeing that the coast was clear, he crept down the hall towards the center of the facility. The HUD in his helmet showed a basic layout of the facility and he selected a route that would take him to the lead scientist’s office. As he turned a corner, he quickly slid into an open office and took cover. A pair of guards stood at the end of the hall. Luckily, their backs were to Elliott, working in his favor, but this was the only hall leading to his destination. He couldn’t risk taking them on directly, since he didn’t know how many armed guards were still inside the facility. He glanced down at the digital read on his wrist. It showed a readout of 98%, he sighed.  _ I need as much juice as I can save in case shit hits the fan…but I NEED to get past these assholes…  _ Elliott holstered his pistol and got into a running position. With the press of a button on his glove, he went completely invisible. His footsteps were silent as he approached the two guards, and he slid past them with ease. Once he was a safe distance away and in cover once more, Elliott pressed the button again and he reappeared. His breathing slightly elevated, he glanced at the readout on his wrist: 85%.  _ Not bad...Still have to work on the energy consumption… _ His attention was snapped back when he heard screams from down the hall. He took out his pistol and quickly made his way down the hall, being careful to not be seen through an observation window. Elliott raised himself just enough over the window to peer into the room, making a note that the only door in and out was right beside him. 

Inside the room, a woman with a shaved head in a straight-jacket was trying to get away from a technician. She shoved him away, causing him to fall onto the ground. The woman attempted to run towards the door, screaming for help. She seemed to look right at him, but Elliott realized that the room probably had a one way mirrored view. He could see her, but she was actually looking in terror as the technician grabbed some sort of device to either sedate or euthanize her. 

“Asset 61137, CALM DOWN!” The technician shouted as he tried to step closer to her, taking a defensive stance. 

“THE VOICES! WHY WON’T THEY STOP! HELP PLEASE!” The woman was visibly in terror, tears streaming down her face as she backed herself into a corner and slid down onto her knees, holding her head. The technician began to approach her slowly, “Stop screaming, ain't no one around who gives a damn…” As he got closer, Elliott cursed under his breath, should he risk saving her? He knew that the facility had already determined to dispose of her. How could he live with himself if he let her die? Going against his better judgement, Elliott pressed the button again and vanished. He busted the door open, causing both the woman and the technician to jump and turn their attentions on the door. 

The technician looked at the door confused and then turned his attention back to the woman. As he took a step closer to her, Elliott reappeared in front of him holding the pistol between the man’s eyes. “I wouldn’t make a sound if I were you.” Elliott spoke with a low calm tone, as the man stared back with both confusion and defiance. “Who the hell are you?” The technician headed Elliott’s warning and kept his voice calm and at a moderate volume. Elliott motioned to the device in the technician’s hand, “How about you drop that? Huh, buddy?” 

The technician, now glaring at Elliott, dropped the device placing his other hand behind him. Elliott did not notice until it was too late that the technician had depressed a panic button on his belt. A loud alarm began to sound and distracted Elliott long enough for the technician to knock the pistol out of his hand. “FUCK.” Elliott reacted quickly and threw a punch at the technician. He missed, and the technician threw himself at Elliott, causing the two to crash into a table. Elliott huffed and wrestled the man off of him and started to crawl towards the pistol. The technician was able to jump onto Elliott and hold him down. Elliott grunted at the large amount of weight the technician was putting on his back. He saw the woman looking at him in terror, she was close enough to the gun that she could use it and take out the technician. “Grab the pistol, hurry!”

The technician slammed Elliott’s helmet into the floor, causing the HUD to flicker. “She’s not going to do shit!” The technician pinned Elliott’s arm firmly against his back. Elliott groaned in pain and struggled to look at the woman, since his HUD was still flickering in and out. The woman squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “NO, they’ll kill me! I can’t...I can’t...SHUT UP!” Elliott was starting to think that trying to save this woman was a mistake. He had gone in and out of facilities just like this one without being seen, but this time he just HAD to play the hero...And now he was probably going to get captured, or worse, die. Three guards rushed into the room and pointed their rifles at both the woman and Elliott. “DON’T MOVE!” 

Elliott was brought to his feet by one of the guards who removed his rifle off his back and took off Elliott’s helmet while the other kept his rifle trained on Elliott. The technician stepped forward and threw a punch directly at Elliot’s jaw causing him to stumble backwards into the wall. “Not so tough now are you,  _ BUDDY.” _ The technician bent over and picked up the device and Elliott’s pistol. Elliott spat out some blood off to the side and grinned standing back straight, “I’m just getting started asshole.” The guard not holding Elliott took his rifle and shoved it into Elliott’s rib cage, causing him to heave forward onto his knees. “Shut the fuck up!” 

The technician handed over Elliott’s pistol to the guard collecting Elliott’s gear. “He somehow snuck in undetected, must have some sort of tech on him. Call the boss and see what she wants to do with him. I’m going to go put this,” He motioned at the woman huddled in the corner, “back in it’s cage.” He leaned down and forcefully pulled the woman to her feet, “You’re going to behave, right 61137?” She looked at Elliott, then to the ground replying in a low defeated tone, “Yes…”

The guards continued to beat Elliott until their superior arrived in the room, causing them to stand at attention. By now Elliott was sitting against the wall, his face was bruised and bleeding, with one of his eyes starting to swell shut. The commander raised a brow at the two guards as she walked in. “Now, now boys….Is this anyway to treat a guest in our facility?” The woman was a slim build, but looked like she could take anyone down. Her blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She wore a similar uniform to the guards, but hers was more formal and had less tactical gear on it.

She leaned down to be at eye level with Elliott, “Who sent you? How did you know about this facility?” Elliott raised his gaze to meet the woman’s cold blue eyes, without saying a word, he defiantly spat some blood down on the ground in front of the woman’s boots. The woman smirked at the gesture and stood up straight. “Seems like our guest needs some persuasion...Take him to a cell and prep a ‘treatment’ room.” One of the guards brought Elliott to his feet and shoved him out of the room. The commander strode over to Elliott’s gear and narrowed her eyes at the various components to Elliott's suit,  _ Who is this guy? _

Elliott was thrown into a holding room, slamming onto the floor, his hands now bound behind him. His gear had completely been stripped off of him, leaving him in only his cargo pants, boots, and a grey shirt that was now stained with blood. He began to struggle to get himself up onto his knees, stopping only when he heard a faint voice coming from the air vent beside his face.

“I’m sorry…” 

Elliott, now out of breath, sighed when he recognized the voice as the woman he tried to save. He was now on his back, staring at the ceiling remaining silent because he did not know what to say. What was he supposed to say? It was his fault for thinking he could save her. He did not have any formal training in combat. He only knew what to do to remain unseen from others. But ...SHE could have saved them both if she had only grabbed the gun and shot the technician. 

“T-They’e going..” Elliott coughed and spat some blood out his mouth before he spoke again, “They’re going to kill you no matter what.” He turned his head to face the vent beside him, “You know that right?”

There was a long moment of silence before the woman spoke again, this time with audible evidence that she was crying. “I-I don’t k-know what to think...The voices...They won’t stop.” 

Elliott sighed and turned his head back to face the ceiling, closing his eyes as he tried to come up with a way to get out, ignoring the searing pain in his head.  _ Great...I’m stuck here...because I tried to save a completely insane woman...way to go Elliott...trying to be a hero...just like your brothers…”  _ His eyes, or rather eye, shot open as he turned to speak into the vent again. “Did you ever hear the names James, Sean or Trever Witt here?” 

The woman sobbed, but then replied. “N-no. W-who are they?”

Elliott hit his head on the floor upon hearing her reply. Tears began to fill his eyes as he continuously hit his head against the floor.  _ STUPID...STUPID...You wasted your fucking time here…And now you’re going to die without knowing what happened to them…Without completing Mom's mission... _

The woman spoke again, this time softer than before, “I...I never knew anyone’s names. They only refer to us by asset numbers. I don’t even remember my own name.”

Elliott stopped moving and sat with his eyes shut before he spoke, “It doesn’t matter now. They’re going to torture me and eventually kill us both. It should be me that’s sorry for not saving you.” 

“W-why did you try and save me?” The woman’s voice pitched at the end as she began to cry again. 

Elliott opened his good eye again and stared at the broken light above him. “Because...well because no one deserves to be treated the way these assholes were treating you. And-” Elliott’s words were interrupted when the woman screamed.

“NO, get away! STOP!” 

Elliott rolled over onto his stomach and brought himself to his knees. He managed to stand up and make his way over to the door and peered out. He saw the same technician as before, dragging to woman down the hall past his room. “Get your hands off her! Let her go!” Elliott slammed himself against the door trying to get it to open somehow.

The technician gave a smug smile at Elliott, “I’m coming for you next, BUDDY.” 

Elliott clenched his teeth, he knew that if that the woman probably wasn’t going to come back. “Fight back! C’mon, you have to get away from him. He’s going to kill you!” The woman acted like she couldn’t hear Elliott, she was holding her head with both hands while the technician tightly held onto one of her arms. 

Suddenly the woman shook off the technician’s arm and ran down the opposite hall. The technician cursed loudly and took off after her. 

Elliott smiled and silently cheered the woman on. Hopefully she would get away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a somewhat graphic scene in this chapter. Viewer discretion advised...

The woman ran down the hall as fast as she could, as she could hear the loud footsteps of the technician behind her.  _ Turn Right.  _ She jumped and held her head as she almost hit the wall beside her. She regained herself but did not listen to the voices and went the opposite direction.  _ STOP. DANGER.  _ She screamed and collapsed onto the ground at the loud collection of voices in her head. She crawled into a nearby office and shut the door, holding it shut with her body. She began to cry, knowing that the technician would find her. She had failed to get away. “Why? Why me?” She held her head but snapped back to reality when the technician slammed his entire body into the door. She was able to keep it shut, but another hit like that and she would collapse against the force. Instead of being knocked back, the woman decided to run behind the nearby desk and brace herself for a fight. 

The technician burst through the door, pure rage in his eyes. “You little bitch! I’m going to be happy to fucking kill you.” He took a step closer to the woman, who grabbed what she could on the desk to defend herself. In this case it was an LED lamp. She stood her ground for the first time but she still shook with fear as she spoke, “S-Stay back!” 

The technician boomed with laughter as he pulled out the same device he had used on her time and time again to sedate her. “Don’t make me laugh. You won’t...No ...Can't hurt me.” He moved closer a smile on his face as he spoke, “If you’re a good pet, you’ll just let me put you down without a fight. If you struggle,” He stopped and his grin disappeared, “I’ll make sure you suffer.” 

The woman still held her ground and held the lamp in front of her. The technician was within a foot of her now. He took another step and the woman swung the lamp, missing his face, but the woman quickly kicked him in the groin.  _ RUN!  _ This time, she listened to the voices and ran out of the office while the technician leaned against the wall growling in pain. “YOU FUCKING CUNT! I’M GOING TO CHOKE THE LIFE OUT OF YOU!” 

The woman ran down the hall but stopped short when the voices popped into her head again, this time more clearly than before.  _ STOP! GUARD AROUND THE CORNER!  _ She slid over in between two crates for cover as a guard rounded the corner. 

By this point, the technician was now in the hall, fury in his voice. “FIND THE ASSET AND CONTAIN HER!” The guard nodded and ran down the hall the woman would have gone down if the voices hadn’t saved her.

The woman held held a hand over her mouth to quiet her breathing as the technician hobbled closer to where she was hiding.  _ Take him out. He’s vulnerable. _ She shook her head in response, shutting her eyes as the voices grew louder.  _ DO IT NOW OR HE WILL FIND YOU!  _

The woman froze when she heard the technician speak in a low, ominous tone. “Found you…” He reached down and pulled her up, holding her by the neck up against the wall. Despite her best efforts to fight him off her, he had more strength in his hold. He turned her around and pinned her arms against her back, shoving her face into the wall. He leaned in and whispered into her ear, “You’re going to wish for death when I’m done with you.” 

The woman let out a scream and tried to use her legs to push herself off the wall, but the technician used his entire weight to keep her pinned. With his free hand, he retrieved the device from the holster at his thigh. He injected just enough sedative to make her weak and fall limp against the wall, but the woman was just conscious. The technician pulled her by the shoulders down the hall towards a nearby office. He cleared off the desk and heaved the woman onto the desk on her back. She groaned trying to move and get away, but the sedative was doing its job and keeping her complacent. The technician set the device on a small table behind him and turned to face the woman. “We are going to have a lot of fun.” The woman wanted to scream, but only a small whimper escaped her throat as the man got closer to her. He was undoing the zipper of her pants when a voice interrupted him. 

“Just what the fuck do you think you’re doing?” 

The technician, obviously had forgotten to shut the door and was now face to face with the commander. He stood up straighter, trying to regain his composure and hide his obvious erection that had formed in his pants. “I-I….Uhh...This asset is slated for termination and I-” 

His words were cut off as the commander smacked him across the face with an open hand. She glanced down at the woman, who was looking up at her with pleading eyes. The commander glared at the technician and spoke with a low menacing tone, “Termination of an asset is not a pass to have sex with it.” She sighed, “Plus...I have plans for Asset 61137.” She narrowed her eyes and held up her hand to the technician who was going to speak, “And before you say anything, I cleared it with the doctor.” She stepped closer to the technician and forcefully grabbed his cock tightly. He winced and she leaned in to whisper into his ear, “If you get any more ideas from you dick today just remember,” She squeezed hard and pushed her hand forward causing his balls to pinch against the wall they were now against. “I will fucking castrate you if you EVER try this again.” When the commander let go, the technician fell to his knees breathing heavily from the pain in his groin. She stood at the doorway and spoke to the guard just outside, “Please escort Asset 61137 back to her cell. This technician has been relieved of his duties for the day.”

\---

Elliott was on his knees in the middle of the room trying, but failing, to undo the binding around his wrists. He stopped when he heard the door to the room beside him open and shut. He scooted on his knees over to the vent and spoke softly, “Hey, are you ok?” He waited and listened for any sign of movement or activity in the room beside him. When there was nothing but silence for a few moments, Elliott sighed and lowered his head. Who was he kidding, would they really let her live after she tried to escape? Elliott was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a soft groan from the other room. He got closer to the wall and listened. 

There was some soft rustling then a thump and he heard her voice. “I-I….tried…” Elliott could hear her starting to sob next to the vent. 

He propped himself against the wall by the vent and leaned his head back, letting out a relieved sigh. She was still alive.

Her soft voice spoke again, her words slurring, “Th-ey-re...not..g..o....k-ill.” 

Elliott glanced down at the vent confused by the woman’s incoherent speech. “What?” 

His attention snapped back to the door of his room when it opened. Two guards walked in and one pointed a rifle at Elliott’s face. “Get up!” 

Glaring up at the guard, Elliott stood. The other guard took Elliott’s shoulder and lead him out of the room. The three walked down the hall and Elliott made mental notes of how many turns they took before the guard holding his shoulder shoved him into a room. There was a chair with restraints built into it. The guard with the rifle kept it trained on Elliott as the other undid the bindings.

Elliott glanced around the room, observing the various instruments strewn across a nearby table. No doubt tools to ‘persuade’ him to speak. He also saw a table with his gear on it,  _ Well isn’t that convenient... _ The guard closest to Elliott pointed to the chair and ordered Elliott to sit. 

Elliott laughed and held his hands up, “Now now boys, aren’t you going to at least buy me dinner first?” 

The guard without the rifle punched Elliott in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. The guard pushed Elliott in the chair and forcefully secured Elliott’s wrists as tight at the bindings would go.

“Yeah, just like that Daddy.” Elliott spoke in a seductive tone and grinned as the guard before him got increasing pissed by his comments. This time, though, he punched Elliott square in the jaw. Elliott just laughed in response. Before the guard could punch him again, the other guard caught his arm. “The boss said to just get him here in one piece. You don’t want to piss her off.” The pissed guard shook the other off and stood back, letting out a growl. 

Elliott smirked, “Down boy.” 

The pissed guard stepped forward again, but was interrupted by the familiar voice of the commander. “You’re dismissed. I’ll take it from here.” The commander walked into the room and stood in front of Elliott. As the guards left the room, the commander walked around Elliott looking him up and down, but not saying anything. 

Elliott let out a soft laugh and smirked up at the commander when she stopped in front of him, “So...are we going to begin? I’m not really one for foreplay with whores.”

The commander grinned at Elliott’s remark, “You’re quite the talker, aren't you?” She brought her gaze to the table with the various medical and non-medical devices on it. “Would you like to just tell me who you are and how you knew about this place?” She picked up a syringe filled with an orange substance, glancing over her shoulder at Elliott as she spoke, “Or is this going to get messy?”

Elliott narrowed his eyes but kept the grin on his face. “What do you think?”

\---

The woman awoke in her room, her head felt dull but was aching from being slammed against the wall. It took several minutes for her to regain her strength and balance to sit up. She looked at the vent, “A-Are you there?” There was nothing but silence coming from the other room. The woman stared at the ground, holding her knees up to her chest. She rested her head onto her knees and began to cry quietly to herself. 

A few hours went by and the woman had fallen asleep, but was jolted awake by the voices in her head.  _ They’re coming for you.  _ She looked at the door and backed herself into a corner. When it opened, a guard holding a rifle stepped in. “Asset 61137, get up and come with me.” The woman hesitated, but looked at the rifle that was hanging in front of the guard. Unlike the technician, this guy was trained to kill, she didn’t stand a chance trying to fight him. She stood and walked out of the room. The guard pointed down the hall, “This way.” The pair walked to a portion of the building the woman had never been in. As they approached a room with the door open, the woman heard a man groaning in pain. The guard pushed her forward when she hesitated. 

The woman gasped and held her hands over her mouth at the sight before her. The man who had tried to save her was restrained in a chair, his shirt was covered in blood and his face was battered and bruised. The commander stood off to the side, cleaning a knife she had just used on his torso. The woman turned to look away, but the guard turned her around. The commander tilted her head to one side at the woman’s reaction. Elliott, on the other hand, was going in and out of consciousness and didn’t notice anyone new had entered the room.

The guard forced the woman, who now had tears forming in her eyes, to sit in a chair across from Elliott. The commander walked back to Elliott and raised his head to look at the woman. “Wakey, wakey sleepy head. We have a new guest.” 

Elliott blinked slowly and his head swayed as he tried to focus. His breathing was labored and he could barely keep his head up on his own. 

The commander grabbed a syringe off the table, this time containing a glowing green substance, and stabbed it into Elliott’s leg. The injection caused Elliott to jolt back to consciousness and let out a groan of pain. His heart was now beating hard in his chest and his body was on fire. 

“Now that I have your attention,” The commander sidestepped around Elliott and stood behind the woman, “Let’s start again.” She rested her hands softly on the woman’s shoulders, “Who are you?”

Elliott was now breathing hard, he felt like his heart was going to explode out of his chest. He glared at the commander. “F-fuck...off.”

The commander stood back and smiled. She calmly grabbed a scalpel off the table and jammed it into the woman’s shoulder, all the while keeping her eyes on Elliott. The woman cried out in pain and squirmed under the commander’s hold. 

Elliott tried to lunge forward, but his restraints held and he struggled as he growled, “You fucking bitch.” 

The commander raised a brow and moved the scalpel around, causing the woman to cry out louder in pain, tears running down her face as she pleaded with the commander, “STOP! PLEASE STOP!” The commander just looked down at the woman and shrugged, speaking in a manner of fact tone, “Don’t look at me, he is the one doing this to you now.” The commander locked eyes with Elliott, “Everytime you refuse to answer my questions, I hurt this one.” She motioned to the woman, digging the scalpel in deeper.

Elliott winced at the woman’s cries of pain. He grit his teeth, resisting the urge to give in, but eventually spoke, “STOP. I’ll tell you.”

The commander held the scalpel still and tilted her head at Elliott, waiting for a response.

“My name is Elliott Witt.” Elliott spoke in a defeated tone staring at the ground now.

The commander pulled the scalpel out and let the woman hold a towel to the wound. The guard stood next to the woman, making sure she didn’t move. The commander walked over to the table that held Elliott’s gear. “Who gave you this tech?”

Elliott looked at the commander, then back at the woman who was staring at Elliott with fear in her pale blue eyes. He signed and spoke, “It’s all mine. I created it.” 

The commander narrowed her eyes at the response and nodded to the guard, who punched the woman in the face. 

Elliott struggled against the restraints and glared at the commander. “What the fuck?!”

The commander gave Elliott doubtful look and crossed her arms. “You honestly expect me to believe that you, some asshole named Elliott Witt, whom I’ve never heard of, made this level of tech?”

Elliott, on any other circumstance would have said something sarcastic in response, but he didn’t want to cause the woman across from him any more pain. Between clenched teeth he spoke, “Yes.” 

The commander continued to stare Elliott down, then shook her head. You’ve given me no choice now. She waved her hand to the guard, who pulled the woman to her feet, pointing a gun to her head. 

The woman cried out, but froze in place when she felt the cold steel against her skin.  _ Fight back. _ The voices in her head were loud and forceful, but the woman remained still, afraid that movement would cause the gun to go off.

Elliott’s wrists were now bleeding from his attempts to struggle against the leather. “I’M TELLING THE TRUTH GODDAMNIT!” 

The commander held her hand up and the guard lowered his pistol.The woman let out a breath, but didn’t move.  _ Now’s your chance, take out the guard.  _ The woman looked to her left and saw the sedative device.  _ Hurry!  _ The woman clenched her jaw and in a split second she had the sedative device in the man’s arm. The guard went to pull away, but the woman spoke, “Don’t move! I’ll release a lethal dose into your system if you do.”  _ Use him as a shield. _ The woman stood behind the guard and locked eyes with the commander, who looked unfazed by this situation. 

The commander raised her hands, “Go ahead.” She motioned to the door, “Leave. See how far you get.” 

The woman looked at the door then back at the commander, suddenly drawing a blank on what to do next.  _ Grab the gun. _ The woman tapped on the guards arm that held the pistol, “Give that to me.” The guard hesitated, but when the woman pushed the needle further into the guard’s other arm, making him wince, he complied. She held the pistol out in front of the guard at the commander.  _ Leave.  _ The woman shook her head and looked over at Elliott who was looking from her to the commander.  _ Leave him or you will die. _

The woman refused to leave. She couldn’t leave the only person who had shown her kindness and risked his own life for her. If she died, she wanted to die knowing she tried to fight. The woman glared at the commander and shook the pistol at her, “Release him.” The woman motioned to Elliott. 

The commander raised a brow, visibly surprised by the asset’s actions. She crossed her arms and stood her ground. “Or what exactly?” The commander lifted a finger and pointed at the woman’s obviously shaky hand holding the pistol. “You won’t be able to hit me.” The commander took a step forward. “You don’t threaten me.”

The woman now held the gun to the guard’s head. “I-I’ll kill him.” 

The commander laughed as she continued her stride towards the woman. “C’mon now sweetie. You don’t have the guts to kill someone.”

Upon the last word, a loud noise filled the room and a dark portal opened behind the commander. In a flash, a figure in a white suit with a purple visor helmet appeared behind the commander. The figure leaned their head over the commander’s shoulder and spoke, “I do.” With that single comment, the figure thrust a knife into the commander’s back and shoved her aside. In all of the commotion, the guard attempted to get the upper hand against the woman behind him. He got the device out of his arm, but before he could get the pistol back, he stopped moving and fell to the ground, a kunai in his back. 

The woman and Elliott, both shocked by the series of events that had just occurred in seconds, stared at the figure before them. 

Before Elliott could speak, a sudden jolt of pain shot through his body and he began to convulse. The woman dropped the pistol that was in her hand and rushed over to him. She looked over at the figure, who was just standing in front of the strange portal. 

The figure spoke in a low tone. “Leave him. He is only going to slow you down.” 

The woman looked down at Elliott, who was now still and unconscious, then back at the figure. “I-I...can’t.” 

The figure shook their head, “Pathetic. Sentiment and love will only lead you to failure and death.” The figure turned and put their back to the woman and Elliott and spoke over their, “I’ve given you a chance to escape. I suggest you take it.” 

Before the figure could disappear into the portal, the woman spoke. “W-wait...Who are you?” 

The figure turned and opened their helmet to reveal her face, which was identical to the woman’s. “I was you once, but I made different choices.” She looked down at Elliott, with almost longing in her eyes, but then returned her gaze to the woman. “You need to move, but I have to go.” 

The woman, still confused, shook her head. “Are you the voice in my head?” 

The figure shut her helmet, “You’ll learn in time, just who WE are.” With her final word, the figure disappeared into the portal and it disappeared from the room.


	3. Chapter 3

The woman stared at the spot where the portal had just disappeared from, still shocked by everything that had just transpired. Who was that mysterious figure and why did she look and sound the same as her? Thoughts raced inside the woman’s mind, but her attention quickly snapped back to reality when she heard a voice inside her head.  _ Someone is coming, HIDE.  _ The woman ducked behind a nearby table, suddenly remembering the wound on her shoulder. She cringed at the pain and held a hand over the wound, while she peered over the table to see who was going to enter the room. 

The technician from before stepped into the doorway. He was visibly shocked by the scene, but did nothing but observe. His attention turned to the commander, who was still laying face down motionless. The technician walked over and knelt beside her, placing his fingers against her throat. His gaze lifted and he did the same to the guard who still had a knife in his back. The technician stood and peered around the room. The woman quickly ducked her head down and prayed that he didn’t see her. 

“Now...Did you have something to do with all this?” The technician spoke with a taunting tone making the woman’s skin crawl. She didn’t move, holding her breath, but she soon realized that the technician was actually speaking to the unconscious man in the chair.

The woman peered around the table again and watched the technician stride towards the man.  _ Shit.  _ For once the only thoughts in her head were her own. She shouldn’t have abandoned the man... _ Elliott _ ...He was vulnerable.

The technician narrowed his eyes at Elliott, taking a step closer and using a hand to bring Elliott’s chin up, then let it drop. “Fucker passed out.” The technician grinned as he used two fingers to open a wound in Elliott’s abdomen. 

Elliott quickly jolted awake, letting out a loud groan. He glared up at the technician, who had a smug look on his face. The technician placed his free hand on the shoulder of the chair and leaned in close to Elliott’s face, keeping his other hand inside the wound as he spoke. “Tell me, what exactly happened here.” He twisted his fingers inside the wound, making Elliott grit his teeth and hold back a scream. 

Elliott stared defiantly at the technician, “I...I don’t know.” He took in a breath as the technician raised a brow. “When I blacked out...those two were still alive.”

The technician rolled his eyes and removed his fingers from the wound abruptly, making Elliott flinch. He walked over to the commander and kicked her body. “You know...I never liked this bitch.” He glanced over at the guard, “Didn’t know that guy.” He returned his gaze to Elliott who was now breathing heavily, as the wound in his abdomen had begun to bleed again. The technician made his way over to the table that held the various tools the commander had used on Elliott. “I think I’ll have a little fun before I report this in.” He picked up a bone saw, and examined it.

The woman’s eyes widened with horror as the technician began to make his way towards Elliott, who continued to just stare at him with defiance. She looked around the room, and realized the table she was hiding behind had Elliott’s gear on it. To her right was his pistol, the same pistol she could have used on the technician before and prevented any of this from happening. She swallowed hard. The technician was now in front of Elliott, she had to make a decision, NOW. She shut her eyes and a voice entered her head, this time it was gentle,  _ You need each other. _ Her eyes snapped open and in one fluid motion, the woman stood and grabbed the pistol. “STOP!”

The technician and Elliott both turned their attention to the woman, who pointed the pistol at the technician. 

“S-step away from him!”

The technician smiled, a small laugh escaping his throat as he looked the woman over, “Well...well...this day keeps getting better.”

The woman tightened her grip on the pistol and stood straighter, “I said, fucking step away from him!” 

The technician stood back from Elliott, putting his hands up and dropping the saw. “Fine…But let me ask you something.” He took a step towards the woman, “Do you think you have what it takes to pull the trigger before I get to you?”

The woman took in a breath, swallowing hard as she continued to stare down the technician, who was still moving towards her. 

Elliott struggled in the chair, wincing as every inch of his body hurt. He had a bad feeling that the woman still wouldn’t have the courage to kill the technician. As the technician got closer and closer to the woman, Elliott decided to make a bold move. “Hey...Buddy.” The technician stopped and turned to look at Elliott, who was grinning. “D-Did I say I was done with you?” He stammered slightly as he coughed up a little blood.

The technician laughed shaking his head and returning his gaze to the woman, who was looking at Elliott with concern. The technician resumed walking towards the woman, speaking in a taunting tone, "I think we should pick off where we were interrupted before." He smirked and licked his lips, "It will be fun with you fighting back."

The woman tightened the grip on the pistol, "S-stop!" 

The technician ignored her warning and kept slowly approaching her. The woman squeezed her eyes shut as her finger pulled the trigger.

*CLICK*

Her eyes shot open when the gun didn’t go off. She looked at the pistol then to the technician, who had stopped at the sound. Within an instant he rushed at her and grabbed her wrist causing the pistol to fall to the ground. He shoved her forward into the wall and pinned her against it. He whispered into her ear as she squirmed under him, “Should have checked the safety…”

Elliott pulled on his restraints again, but his efforts were just as successful as the first several times he had tried. At this point he was just causing more damage to his arms and wasting strength. He watched helplessly as the technician pinned the woman against the wall. “G-get...o-off her you...needledick s-son...of...a b-bitch.” The adrenaline from his rage was probably the only thing keeping him conscious at this point.

The technician smirked at Elliott’s insult, glancing over his shoulder at him then back to the woman who was struggling beneath his grasp. He made sure to keep her legs pinned so she couldn’t kick him in the groin. Both of her arms were pinned in some way, the one previously holding the gun above her head and the left at her side. “I’ll show you just how big my dick is in a second…” He lifted his hand from her left arm and squeezed tightly on her wounded shoulder. She cried out in pain and he smacked her across the face. In one movement, the technician spun the woman around, pinning her right hand behind her back and her face smashed against the wall. He chuckled as this time she had nowhere to run and no one to help her. He leaned in close to her ear, his breath hot and moist making her shudder, “I’m going to tear you apart...right in front of your ‘hero’.” He then tugged on her pants with his free hand.

As the technician was attempting to pull down her pants, the woman whimpered, tears running down her face. She couldn’t tell if the feeling swelling from inside her was fear or rage and Elliott was shouting obscenities. At this point, the technician was trying to get her underwear down and unzip his pants at the same time. Suddenly, the woman’s eyes flashed white and a dark purple energy began to emanate from her right arm. The technician stared down at the arm, puzzled, but in an instant the woman disappeared from beneath his hold.

The woman found herself in what seemed like a negative space. Everything was dark, objects and people only outlined in a white aura. She could see shadows flashing across the room and heard whispers. An overwhelming feeling of dread started to fill her, as she thought she was dead. Just as she began to panic, she reappeared back in the room, several feet away from the technician by the dead guard. She collapsed onto her hands and knees and threw up on the ground in front of her. Her right arm felt like it was on fire and her head throbbed. 

The technician was surprised at the sight, but started to walk towards the woman again.

Her eyes flashed white again, the voices in her head spoke,  _ Behind you.  _ She glanced over her shoulder and saw the technician coming for her again. She could barely move, her entire body stiff from whatever happened before.  _ To your right.  _ She had a split second to interpret what the voices had meant. Then she saw it. 

As the technician went to grab her shoulder again, the woman turned around and shot him in the chest. The technician stumbled back, his hand reaching up and feeling the blood begin to pump out of the hole in his chest. He tried to speak, but the woman cut him off muttering, “Safety’s off…” and fired several more shots into him as he fell to the ground.

For several moments, there was silence in the room. Elliott gazed at the woman in disbelief at what had transpired in a matter of minutes. The woman dropped the gun and slowly stood up, holding her right hand over the wound on her shoulder. She stumbled slightly as she made her way over to Elliott. Neither said anything as she undid the wrist restraints then knelt down to release the ones on his legs. 

She looked up at him, her pale blue eyes looking him over. “Can you stand?”

Elliott shook his head and pointed at the table that held his gear. “N-need...s...s-syringe…” He was quickly fading in and out of consciousness now. The woman stood and rushed to the table as fast as she could. 

She scanned the table and saw a pack attached to a belt. She turned to Elliott and pointed to the pack, “In here?”

Elliott slowly nodded, trying his best to keep his eyes open. 

The woman brought the pack over to Elliott and opened it up. Inside was a white device with a red cross on it. She pulled it out, it looked like a strange smaller version of the device the technicians used to distribute sedatives. 

Elliott slowly pointed to his neck, “H-here…”

The woman hesitated for a moment, then stuck the needle into Elliott’s neck and pulled the trigger. Elliott took in a deep breath squeezing his eyes shut and gripping the arm of the chair, as if the syringe had just released something that was causing more pain. The woman placed her free hand on Elliott’s as he relaxed and let out the breath he was holding. He opened his eyes and looked at the woman. “I-is your shoulder ok?” 

The woman pulled out the syringe and stood back. She couldn’t believe this guy was worried about her ONE stab wound when he had so many other injuries on himself. “I’m fine.”

Elliott nodded taking in another breath before trying to stand up, “We need to move. T-those shots are going to bring some unwanted guests here in a m-minute.” He stumbled forward as he got to his feet. The woman caught his arm and pulled him back to his feet, supporting his weight on her good shoulder. Elliott let out a sigh, “You s-should get out of here...I’m only going to slow you down at this p-point.”

The woman shook her head as she adjusted her hold on Elliott, “No...I’m not going to leave you to die here.” The two locked eyes as she spoke in a softer tone, “I owe you one for saving me earlier.”

Elliott knew he couldn’t convince her that she didn’t owe him anything and that he wasn’t worth risking her life over. He nodded his head to the table that held his gear, “We’ll need...that if we want to make i-it out of here a-alive.” He was already breathing heavily having just been on his feet for a minute.

The woman raised a brow, “I don’t think you’ll be able to handle the weight of all that stuff…” She studied Elliott up and down, “Plus you’re still actively bleeding. We need to get you cleaned up.”

Elliott shook his head, “I....I can’t leave that stuff here…” 

The woman let out a long sigh and lead Elliott over to lean against the wall. Without a word she gathered up his gear and pointed to the doorway. “I’ll go find us a room to hide in and get some supplies to patch you up.” She reached up and gently placed a hand on his beaten and swollen cheek. “I WILL be back.” 

Elliott nodded slowly, “Ok.”

Several minutes went by and Elliott’s eyes were beginning to feel heavy again. He had placed one of his arms across his torso to hold the wound the technician had reopened. His other held his pistol that the woman had left with him just in case someone came to investigate the shots. They were both lucky that the facility had been cleared out for the most part. Only a few guards and technicians were left to do cleanup and storage of the facility. Elliott snapped back to reality when he heard footsteps in the hall. He raised the pistol and trained it onto the doorway, ready to fire. 

The woman appeared in the doorway and Elliott lowered his pistol, a weak smile forming on his lips.

The woman hurried over to Elliott and let him lean on her. "I found a room far enough away that we should be safe." She looked at Elliott, who was now showing obvious signs that the adrenaline had worn off. The two hobbled slowly out of the room, the woman having to hold more of Elliott’s weight than she had anticipated. The various wounds on his body must have been causing him a lot of pain. Every now and again the woman would look up at Elliott and make sure he wasn’t in too much pain, or she would stop. 

Elliott, on the other hand, was trying his hardest to not be a burden to the small woman beside him. He let her set the pace and tried to not slow them down, even when his entire body felt like it was on fire. He held his breath to try and not to show visible signs of the pain he was experiencing.

Finally, after several agonizing minutes, the two made it to the room the woman had found for them. She helped Elliott sit down in a chair while she went and shut the door, making sure to lock it. When she turned to face Elliott, he was attempting to lift up his shirt, but stopped when pain shot through his body. The woman hurried over to him, “Let me help you.” She gingerly started to lift the shirt up trying her best to not cause more pain, but it seemed impossible with the amount of wounds Elliott had strewn across his chest, shoulders and arms. When she got the shirt off, it became clear to the woman that Elliott would need real medical attention when they got out of the facility. In the hours he was in that chair, he suffered a lot of damage at the hands of the commander. “Do you have anymore of those syringes anywhere?” She grabbed a towel and began to gently dab at the blood on his chest.

Elliott winced and shook his head, “Unfortunately that was my only one…”

The woman nodded, “What was in it anyway? I’ve never seen anything like that before.” She went to work using sanitizing solution on his wounds, making him cringe. 

“S-some...pain inhibitors mostly, but…” He flinched when she started to clean the open wound on his torso. “It a-also has coagulants and a-antibiotics in it…” 

The woman was quiet as she assessed the rest of Elliott’s wounds. Most were superficial, except for the wound on his torso. It looked as though the commander had taken a knife and slashed horizontally. Elliott was lucky she didn’t go deeper or he would have had his guts hanging out. “I’m...I’m going to have to close up that wound…” The woman brought her gaze up to meet Elliott’s. 

He nodded, “Did you find something for that?”

“Yes.” The woman showed Elliott a first aid kit that held a small suture kit. She pulled out the hook shaped needle and threaded it. “What exactly did they want from you?” Again, she was attempting to make conversation to distract him from the pain. The last thing she needed was for him to pass out.

“Elliott hissed as she poked the needle into his skin. “J-just the basics…Who I am...Why I was here..” He looked over at his gear that was positioned in the corner. “They a-also wanted to know about my tech.”

The woman continued sewing up the wound as she spoke, “Why did you come here?”

“To find answers.”

She stopped at Elliott’s response and looked at him, “Did…” She returned to her task as she spoke, “DId you find anything about me?”

He nodded, “I did...but most of it was redacted.” 

When she was finished, the woman placed a piece of gauze over the wound and wrapped up his torso. She looked at him, hope in her eyes as she spoke. “D-did...it say what my name is?”

Elliott shook his head, “It only had your asset number.”

Her gaze fell to the floor, “Oh.”

Elliott sat back and let out a long sigh. “I needed to find a higher level clearance computer to get what I need.” He shook his head, “But our priority now is to just get the hell out of here.”

The woman bit her lip, her hands forming fists in her lap. “No…” She spoke softly, but got Elliott’s attention.

“What?”

“I said no.” The woman gave Elliott a stern look as she continued, “We both want answers. If we leave now, we may never find them.” Elliott opened his mouth to say something, but the woman cut him off. “We both deserve answers Elliott.” 

Without another word, the woman stood and went over to Elliott’s gear, picking it up and bringing it over to him. “Let’s do this,” She gave a small, but confident smile, “Together.”

Just as Elliott was about to put his helmet on, a loud alarm sounded. “Well...guess that means they found the bodies…” He glanced over at the woman, who was finishing wrapping her shoulder. 

“I think I know where to find a terminal that has what we need.” She walked over to him and helped him lighten a strap on his arm. 

Elliott nodded and grabbed his pistol and handed it to her. “Safety is on the side here.” He pointed to the red switch above the trigger. He put his helmet on and the HUD activated and he glanced at the screen on his wrist. The suit level was still at 85%, “ _ good to know they didn’t fuck with anything…” _

The two made their way into the hall after they made sure the coast was clear. Elliott still needed the woman’s help to walk, which made their pace slow. The woman’s eyes flashed white as the voices spoke in her head,  _ Danger close… _ She raised the pistol, making Elliott look around. 

When he didn’t see anything he leaned in to whisper to her, “Did you see something?”

“Not sure...but I don’t think we’re safe.” She pointed to a nearby pile of crates that they could duck behind. “Let’s take cover there.”

Just as they ducked behind the crates, a pair of guards rounded the corner. Their footsteps were dulled by the sound of the alarm. After a few moments, Elliott and the woman continued to their destination. When they arrived, the woman tried the door. “Shit...it’s locked.”

The door was controlled by a panel next to it. Elliott pulled out the terminal from his belt and plugged it into the ID slot. There was a sound of a click and the door opened. He put the terminal away and looked down at the woman who was now staring up at him. He shrugged, and motioned for them to enter the room.

Once inside, the woman shut the door slowly and Elliott used the wall to make his way to the desk and crouched behind it. 

The large office had a large window that overlooked a procedure room. The woman walked over to the glass and shivered. There was a chair in the center of the room, with various instruments hanging from the ceiling around it. She held herself as she recounted all of the nightmarish things that were done in that room.

Elliott plugged in the drive and it went to work hacking into the system and starting its download of the contents on the drive. Once the drive had gotten its way past the firewall, Elliott started to search for the woman’s file. He saw several procedure photos that disturbed him, then he found the profile contents.

**IMC Special Projects**

**Codename: Wraith**

**Subject: Rene Blasey**

**Age: 28**

**Asset ID: 61137**

**Evaluation:** **FAILURE**

**Purpose: Interdimensional Phase Technology**

**Notes: During the procedure, the subject became aggressive and extremely confused. She did not know who she was, where she was, or what she had VOLUNTEERED for. We tested both devices developed by ARES Division with the goal of recreating the readings from the device recovered in the Typhon explosion. Using experimental technology designed in the Outlands, we were able to successfully prolong the subject’s exposure to the Phase Void, however, the side effects appear to be dangerous and permanent. Tests will continue. Asset 61137 has been delivered to Solace for Termination.**

Elliott read over the notes again, then looked at the woman, Rene. She was still staring into the room the office overlooked. He wasn’t sure what to think about her now. She was somehow connected to the IMC. Could he trust someone who volunteered to be a lab rat for what, he could only assume, was for some sort of weapon? Once the drive was finished, Elliott put it away in his vest and used the desk to stand himself up. “All set. Let’s get out of here.”

Rene’s attention broke from the room to look at Elliott. She had tears in her eyes and was visibly shaken. She wiped the tears away with her sleeve and walked over to Elliott and offered to help him stand. 

He hesitated at first, then sighed and put his arm around her. “Rene Blasey.” 

She looked up at him confused, “What?”

“Your name is Rene Blasey. I was able to quickly look at your file and get that before the transfer was complete.”

Rene blinked several times and looked away at the floor. “I-I…” She fumbled with the words then returned her gaze to Elliott. “Was there anything else?”

Elliott debating on telling her the truth, but decided that would be for another time. “I didn’t have enough time for anything else. We need to get out of here.” He patted the pocket on his vest where the drive was, “All the info is on here.”

Rene nodded and helped Elliott to the door and opened it. The pair were met by the two technicians that Elliott had seen loading supplies into a transport earlier. Despite the alarm sounding, there was silence between the four. Elliott raised his rifle and Rene pointed her pistol at the technicians. 

“Now...We all know that you don’t make enough money to die for this shit, right boys?” Elliott and Rene slowly made their way out of the office and into the hall, both of their guns still trained on the men before them. The two technicians had their hands raised, fear on their faces. They both nodded at Elliott’s question. Elliott motioned for them to enter the office they had just left. “Good...Now...go inside there, shut the door and pretend like you never saw us.” The technicians complied and backed into the office and shut the door.

Rene looked at Elliott with surprise, “How did you know they wouldn’t jump us?” She was surprised that the voices didn’t warn her about them...For once they were calm...despite the chaos going on. 

Elliott shrugged and started to hobble down the hall forcing Rene to follow, “I overheard them bitching about having to be here. Just kind of made sense that they wouldn’t want to die for this place.” Elliott stopped at a corner and quickly glanced down the proceeding hall. He cursed under his breath and laid his head against the wall,

Rene looked as well and saw a group of guards posted at the exit. Her hands suddenly started to shake as she now felt the weight of the pistol in her hand. Could she really kill more people?

Elliott reached into his pocket and took out a syringe. Rene recognized the glowing green substance inside as the same one the commander had injected into Elliott to keep him awake. 

She grabbed his hand, keeping her voice at a whisper, “You’re not seriously thinking about using that are you?”

“Plan A was to sneak our way out of here…” He motioned to the hallway around the corner where the guards were, “Obviously that’s not going to happen since the exits have been locked down.” There was a moment of hesitation as Elliott stared at the syringe as he recalled the immense pain that came with the jolt of energy. Through his HUD he looked at Rene, then plunged the needle into his leg. “I’m going to use my tech to get close to those guards. I’m going to try and take them all out in one go.” He swallowed hard, “If for some reason I fail...Promise me that you’ll just get the hell out.” 

Rene stared at the front of Elliott’s helmet, then looked away and replied with a soft. “O-ok.”

Elliott depressed the plunger of the syringe and activated his suit at the same time. He disappeared from in front of Rene in an instant. Despite feeling like his heart would burst, he was able to dash down the hall towards the guards. He remained invisible to them as he slipped past them and pulled his rifle out and opening fire on the guards. They all fell without knowing what hit them. Elliott smiled, for once something went right today. His celebration was cut short as the same jolt of pain filled his body, making him collapse onto the floor. “S-shit…” He struggled to reach for the button to disengage the invisibility.

When the shots stopped, Rene peered around the corner and saw all the guards dead. She slowly came around the corner and down the hall. “E-Elliott?” She looked around at the bodies on the floor then to the area behind them. She narrowed her eyes as she struggled to see the slight discrepancies Elliott’s tech was causing to the surrounding light. Suddenly Elliott reappeared before Rene, laying on his back on the floor. 

She dropped to her knees and started to look him over for new wounds. When she didn’t find any she reached for his helmet. “Elliott? Can you hear me?” She lifted the helmet off and found Elliott unconscious. “Shit…” She knew using that stuff again was a bad idea. When she saw that he was still breathing, a sigh of relief escaped her chest. 

Rene still had a problem on her hands...How would she get Elliott out of the facility now? He was far too heavy for her to pick him up or to even drag a long distance safely. She searched around the hall and saw a cart nearby that held some containers on it. Quickly she stood and knocked the containers off and rolled it over to Elliott. After she managed to get Elliott onto the cart, she took off towards the set of doors. 

The sun seemed brighter than Rene had ever experienced before. She held her arm up to shield her eyes as she looked around. She pushed the cart as far as she could away from the facility. When the cart wouldn’t move anymore on the rough terrain, she pulled Elliott off and slung the rifle onto her back. She stood up and stretched, looking out on the landscape around her. 

Where should they go now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I changed some things with Wraith...Her age in the report is 28, since I made Elliott 26 in this story, she is two years older than him and I wanted to keep that...The rest of the information in the report is the same as it is on the EA website.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this. I'm debating on writing more...since I am loving this :D


	4. Chapter 4

Rene pulled Elliott as far as she could before the pain in her shoulder became too much to handle. It was starting to get dark out, and she still had no idea where they would be safe. She wiped some sweat off her brow and checked on Elliott. He was still unconscious. It had been hours since the pair had made it out of the facility. Rene was growing concerned that Elliott might not ever wake up. She constantly had the voices in her head yelling at her to abandon him since he was just slowing her down. 

Rene leaned against a tree to catch her breath. She surveyed the surrounding area. In the distance she saw the opening to a cave. Rene didn't know how much longer she could carry Elliott and with it getting dark, traveling through this area would be impossible. She mustered up what strength she had left and got Elliott and herself to the cave. 

Rene took the gear off of Elliot and checked on his wounds. He was breaking out into a cold sweat, his breathing rapid now. Rene sighed and searched his gear for water. Luckily, along with some small food rations, Elliott had a large canteen of water. She took off her jacket and bundled it up to place under Elliott’s head. Then she used a knife that she found on his belt to cut some material from her jacket and a little water onto the material to gently dab Elliott’s forehead. 

Rene stood and surveyed the inside of the cave. By now the sun had pretty much set, so she was losing light. She knelt down next to Elliott’s gear and searched for a flashlight, lighter or even matches. Luckily, she found both matches and a flashlight. Before she left the cave in search of some materials to make a small fire, Rene grabbed the pistol and tucked it into the waistband of her pants. 

The air was beginning to cool as the sun disappeared. Rene took a moment to take in the various colors in the sky from the sunset. It had been a long time since she saw the sky and now that she had a moment to take in her new found freedom, some tears began to stream down Rene’s cheeks. A cool breeze blew across the trees and she shut her eyes, listening to the trees and letting the sounds resonate within her mind. For once, the voices were quiet and all she heard was the natural harmonies around her. Goosebumps formed on her bare arms as she remembered why she had ventured from the cave. 

By the time Rene returned to the cave, it was completely dark out. She shined the light into the opening of the cave and found Elliott exactly where she had left him. Laying out the branches and other kindling she had gathered, Rene attempted to light a fire. She had tucked herself and Elliott far enough inside the cave that the light wouldn’t be visible from a distance. She didn’t have much choice though, since it was getting cold out and both she and Elliott needed to keep warm. Rene was more worried about Elliott than herself, since he seemed to be getting worse as the night progressed. He had a fever and the fact that he still hadn’t awoken, concerned her. 

Once the fire was established, Rene positioned Elliott closer to it and sat next to him. She needed to put her jacket back on, so she placed Elliott’s head into his lap so he wasn’t on the hard ground. Rene squeezed out the makeshift rag and put fresh cool water on it. She gently moved some of Elliott’s hair from his face. This was the first moment she had to truly see the man before her. Despite the bruises and swelling on his face, he was really handsome. Rene dabbed at his forehead and studied his face. Elliott had a rugged look to him, not exactly a military look since his hair seemed to be longer than a standard issued grunt or officer. His beard could use a trim, but Rene figured he had been in the field and who had time to sculpt their look in the wilderness? She reached over and grabbed his jacket and laid it over his chest and torso. A low buzzing sound came from one of the inner pockets. Rene reached inside and pulled out a phone. A notification flashed on the screen: **Encrypted Message Received.** She attempted to open the message, but another message flashed: **Biometrics Required.** Rene reached for Elliott’s hand and placed his thumb onto the sensor. The phone unlocked and Rene read the message.

**C- “Original extraction site compromised with IMC. New extraction coordinates pending, please respond with current status.”**

Rene glanced down at Elliott then back at the phone, then typed out a response.

**S- “Need medical assistance.”**

There was a long delay in the response from the other party, but the message came through.

**C- “Frontier Corps have been reported in the area. Sending coordinates now.”**

A map appeared on the screen, showing the location and its relation to where Rene and Elliott currently were. She let out a sigh seeing it was about 2 miles from their location. Another message came in as Rene minimized the map. 

**C- “New extraction point will be sent tomorrow at 13:00; maintain radio silence until then.”**

  
  


Rene locked the phone and put it inside her jacket and leaned back against the wall behind her. Even though she was exhausted, she dreaded going to sleep. She was plagued with constant nightmares and rarely had restful sleep. The only way she could even remotely get any rest at the facility was through the sedatives they forced upon her. Though she didn’t want to, Rene NEEDED her rest to be able to get Elliott medical attention. She shut her eyes and listened to the slow crackling of the fire and Elliott’s breathing, trying to force herself to sleep.

~Rene opened her eyes to find herself in a strange place. She wasn’t in control of her body, but was more a spectator to the events around her. _“A dream?”_ She thought as the events started to play out.

She was on the ground crawling backwards as another woman approached her. The woman was wearing some sort of tactical uniform with various large caliber rounds strapped to her. She was holding a gun trained directly on Rene as she walked forward. Her voice was low as the approached, “Did your weapon malfunction? Or did you?” 

Suddenly a voice, which Rene recognized chimed in, “Now you see me,” 

The woman shot a couple rounds off at the man running down the hall, but he disappeared in a flash of light. “Now you don’t.” Elliott appeared beside the woman, his gear very different than the one Rene had noticed before. He pointed his pistol at the woman’s head, “Sorry did I confuse you?” 

All the woman could say before Elliott pulled the trigger was, “Motherfu-.”

Elliott fist bumped a copy of himself, who again disappeared in a flash of blue light. “Isn’t sneaking your specialty?” He reached out a hand and helped Rene to her feet. Inside she felt a sense of calm and warmth when she looked at him. He grinned and threw a pistol and med kit her way. “C’mon, Path is waiting for us.”~

Rene woke up slowly, her body feeling surprisingly rested, despite having slept on hard ground sitting up. She brought her attention to Elliott, who was still unconscious in her lap. His breathing had slowed and she felt his forehead. “Seems your fever is starting to go down.” Rene wasn’t sure why she was talking to him....Maybe she hoped that he would wake up to the sound of her voice or something. The dream she had left so many questions, “Why was she fighting that woman? Why was Elliott’s gear so different? And most importantly, Why did she call him ‘Mirage’? 

Rene gently laid Elliott’s head onto the ground as she stood up and stretched. She grabbed the pistol and went to check the mouth of the cave. The sun was only beginning to come over the horizon, painting a beautiful combination of pink, orange and red across the sky. Rene took in a deep breath then went back into the cave. She bundled Elliott’s gear together and secured it to her back. Rene put Elliott’s helmet on the butt end of the rifle stock which was already secured to her back. She checked the phone to make sure no new communications came in. Then grabbed Elliott by his shoulders. “Let’s get going, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”

Hours went by and by the time it was almost 9:00, Rene was almost to the coordinates she received for the Frontier Corps. She found some cover and rested Elliott against a tree. She did not know who the Frontier Corps were and wanted to scope out the area before bringing him in. If push came to shove, she would just get medical supplies and bring them back. Rene piled up Elliott’s gear in a bush and made sure Elliott was hidden before moving on towards the coordinates. 

Rene found a camp setup not too far from where she left Elliott. She sat in the bushes and observed the camp site. There were various tents and small fires where people were sitting around and talking. There were people in various medical style uniforms walking in and out of tents. She saw a medical insignia plastered on more than one tent. Some of the people in the camp had been wounded, from their obvious bandages, but were being assisted by the other people in the camp. Rene stayed hidden in the brush until she reached one of the tents with the red cross on it. She peered through a slit for air circulation and when she saw the coast was clear, Rene snuck inside. 

There was a stretcher positioned in the center of the tent with various carts with supplies surrounding it. Rene stayed low and began to search in the carts, but didn’t know what Elliott needed. She still didn’t know if she could trust these people. What if they were aligned with the IMC? She had doubts that the person Elliott was in contact with would send him into a trap. But she did not know. Suddenly, the voices in her head shouted, _HIDE!_

Rene quickly ducked behind some crates and kept watch on the entrance of the tent. A petite woman with ebony skin and pink hair strolled into the tent. She had a pair of earbuds in and was humming along to a song while she searched one of the carts. A small bot followed behind her and bumped into one of the carts. It looked down then back up to the woman as she turned to see the mess the bot had caused. “Aw...C’mon Doc…” She pulled an earbud out and knelt down to put away the supplies spilled out by the robot. The little robot’s head drooped and it hovered past the woman. Its head raised and tilted slightly as it looked over in Rene’s direction.

_“Shit…”_ Rene thought as the bot beeped a few times as it started to approach her. 

The woman with the pink hair turned to watch the bot, “Ey, where ya goin?” She stood and followed the bot until she saw Rene huddled behind a crate. “Why ya hidin’ back there?” The woman spoke in a heavy accent that Rene didn’t recognize, but she could understand her enough.

Rene stayed where she was, hand on the pistol at her side. “I-I…” She glanced at the carts behind the woman then back. “I need medical supplies.” 

The pink haired woman crouched down and tilted her head to one side as she spoke, “I can help ya with that shoulder.” She pointed to Rene’s shoulder which had bled through the bandage. “My name is Ajay by the way.” Ajay stood and walked over to the stretcher and patted the cushion. “C’mon, I don’t bite.” 

Rene shook her head, “I-I can’t…”

The drone, Ajay had called Doc, was now hovering closer to Rene. A cord snaked out of the side and approached Rene, who moved away. 

Ajay clicked and shook her finger at Doc, “You be scarin her. Not everybody used to a drone like you.” Doc retracted the cord and hovered slowly back to Ajay’s side. “Dis is Doc, he’s a ‘Drone of Compassion’.” He pointed to Rene’s shoulder again, “He just wanna help ya is all.” Ajay crossed her arms and leaned against the stretcher, “If ya worried about being from the IMC, we dun much care.” She motioned to Rene’s jacket that bore an IMC logo on the sleeve. “I’m ‘ere to help injured people, no matter their alliances.” 

Rene again hesitated, but stood from her hiding spot, but kept the pistol at her side, making sure it was visible to Ajay. “The supplies I need...They’re for my friend.”

Ajay tilted her head to one side, “Where is your friend?” 

Rene stared into Ajay’s brown eyes, trying to get a read on if the woman was sincere and could be trusted to help Elliott. Rene’s eyes flashed white and a voice in her mind spoke, _You can trust her._

Ajay noticed the change in Rene’s eyes, but chose to ignore it, waiting on Rene’s response. 

“If I take you to him...Will you be able to help him?”

Ajay nodded and walked over to one of the carts and grabbed a kit, “Me and Doc ‘ere will do our best! Lead the way.”

Rene led Ajay and Doc back to Elliott, making sure to take a long way just in case they were being followed. Despite the voices telling her to trust Ajay, Rene was still uneasy about the situation.

When Rene uncovered where she had hid Elliott, Ajay knelt down next to him and Doc followed close behind. “I’d ask who did dis to him...but I’m guessin you won’t tell me?” Ajay glanced up at Rene who had her arms crossed, the pistol still in her hand. After a moment of silence, Ajay laid Elliott down onto his back and looked at Doc, “I need diagnostics.” A small camera raised from the center of Doc and a green light spread over Elliott. Ajay glanced at a screen on her wrist. Her eyebrows went up and she looked at Rene again. “You’re lucky you ran into us…” She entered a few commands into Doc and the little robot hummed until an IV line came out of one of the ports on the front. Ajay inserted the needle into Elliott’s arm. Doc began to hum as he began to relay the necessary meds and fluids to Elliott. While Doc went to work, Ajay changed the bandage on his torso and cleaned up the other wounds across his body.

Ajay stood and took off her blue gloves,tossing them into the opened medical bag. She put her hands on her hips as she looked at Rene who was watching Elliott, “I didn’t wanna pry, but I can’t help but feel like you two are on the run.” 

Rene locked eyes with Ajay but turned away as tears began to form in hers. “Will…” She returned her gaze to Elliott, “Will he be okay?”

“Mhm...As I said, you lucky we came cross each other.” Ajay shook her head as Rene returned to look at her. “I doubt he would’ve survived another night. Aside from the obvious gashes ‘n cuts, his body took a beatin and had internal bleedin plus there was a foreign toxin in his blood.” 

Rene nodded slowly, her hands started to shake as the weight of the entire situation started to come down on her. If the phone hadn't gone off last night...Elliott could have died. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she spoke, “He saved me.”

Ajay stayed silent for a moment then looked down at Elliott. “Seems like you saved ‘him too.” 

“I don’t want to risk your safety by telling you more.” Rene looked more serious now as she spoke. “I need you to promise me you won’t tell ANYONE about having seen us.”

Ajay glanced down at the pistol in Rene’s hand, which she had a tighter hold on now. “Course darlin. I deal with dis sorta stuff all the time.” She smiled and knelt down and reached inside her bag, “I’ll leave ya with some extra supplies. But before I go, let me take a look at ya shoulder.” Ajay put a new pair of gloves on and cleaned up Rene's shoulder wound and re-bandaged it up. "There, all done." A small beep emitted from Doc and Ajay took the IV out of Elliott’s arm. “He’s stable now.” She stood and grabbed her bag, “I need to be gettin back before someone gets worried bout me.” She placed her hand on Rene’s shoulder, “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Rene nodded and watched Ajay and Doc begin their journey back to their camp.

Rene sat down next to Elliott, taking the phone out of her jacket. It was only 11:00 and the extraction coordinates wouldn’t be relayed for another 2 hours. She rested her head back against the tree behind her and stared up at the tree’s branches as a cool breeze came through. After a few minutes, Rene heard a groan come from Elliott. He tried to sit up but immediately laid back letting out another groan. 

“W-we…” Elliott slowly opened his eyes and squinted as the light from the sun peeked through the branches. “Made it?” 

Rene leaned forward so he could see her face, “Yes, and you’ve been out for quite some time.”

He shut his eyes and swallowed, “C-can...I get some...water?” 

Rene gently helped Elliott sit up and propped him up against the tree. She reached behind her and grabbed the canteen and held it up to his lips. 

He drank a little then coughed, “Thanks…” His eyes scanned the area around them, then he returned to look at Rene. “How long was I out?”

“Probably over 12 hours…” Rene watched as a worried expression crossed Elliott’s face. As he began to look for his jacket, she pulled out his phone. “Y-you….” She held it out for Elliott to grab, “You got a message last night…” She kept her gaze at the ground as he took the phone from her.

Elliott read the messages and said softly, “Rene…”

She kept rambling, not registering that he had addressed her, “I’m sorry, but I was so worried about you and didn’t know what to do. So I used your phone...”

“Rene.” Elliott spoke again, this time a little louder to get her attention. When she brought her eyes to meet him he continued, “You don’t have to be sorry.” He smiled, “You did what you needed to do and that saved my life.”

Rene’s cheeks started to fill with color as she found herself enjoying the sight of his smile and golden eyes staring into her own. She turned away, her own lips curling into a smile. 

Elliott took in a deep breath and shut his eyes as the wind blew again. The two stayed silent for a moment then Elliott spoke again, “How far did you have to drag me along?”

Rene shrugged, “Not sure to be honest. I’m glad you’re awake now though.” She looked back at Elliott, who was now staring at her. “I’m not sure how your contact would feel if I showed up dragging your unconscious body to the extraction point.”

Elliott thought about it for a moment then nodded, his lips curling inward. “Yeah...you’ve got a point there.” He shrugged, “I doubt he will actually be there. He tends to send in a third party for extractions and drop offs.” 

Rene tilted her head to one side and readjusted herself so she was sitting cross legged in front of Elliott. “Who exactly is you contact, he goes by “C” on your phone. Also...Why are you going by “S”?”

Elliott hesitated, not sure if he could honestly go into his background with Rene. She saved his life, but how much of his secrets should he share with her. He readjusted himself against the tree to be more comfortable, wincing slightly as his body ached. “Before I answer your questions, I have a few of my own for you.”

Rene, a little shocked by his response, leaned back and nodded. “Ok?”

Elliott let out a sigh, not exactly sure how to get his thoughts out into words without being too pushy. “First...What happened in the room I was being tortured in.” Rene looked away from Elliott, remembering the scene. He continued, “Did a portal open up and a person come through and kill the commander and guard or was I hallucinating?”

“You weren’t hallucinating.” Rene spoke softly, looking away from Elliott.

“Do you know who that was? Where did they come from and where did they go?”

Rene shook her head, “I don’t know.” She returned to look at Elliott again, “It’s going to sound crazy, but that figure looked like me. Like a different ‘version’ of me.” 

Elliott took in what Rene said, his brow furrowing slightly as he started to digest the information. Before he could say anything, Rene continued.

“I don’t know what they did to me at that facility.” She looked at her hands now, “But I hear...voices...they sound like my own and they usually warn me of danger or sometimes what to do.” Her gaze came back up to Elliott, who still was trying to grasp what she was saying. “I also have dreams...nightmares sometimes...of other versions of myself.” She continued to study Elliott’s face, trying to get a read of what the man was thinking, but he stayed quiet for a few moments.

Finally Elliott spoke, “I lied when I said all I could find was your name.” Rene looked shocked as he continued, “Your file had details of the experiments they ran on you. It said something about an explosion on Typhon and device recovered there that exposed you to a ‘Phase Void’.” Elliott couldn’t look at Rene as he struggled with his next words, “I-I didn’t tell you any of that...Because…” He returned to look into her eyes, “Because it said you volunteered for the experiments.” Rene brought a hand to cover her opened mouth as the shock on her face was beginning to become a panic. Elliott looked away again in shame, “I wasn’t sure if I could trust that you truly had lost your memory.” Rene sprang to her feet and sprinted away from Elliott, tears forming in her eyes. “Rene, wait!” He tried to get up and follow, but a surge of pain went through his body and he simply fell to one side, now laying on his back. _“Smooth move Elliott…”_ He thought as he stared up at the leaves in the tree.

Rene ran until she reached a collection of boulders. She fell to her knees and dug her fingertips into her thighs. Anger was building inside her as she tried to remember anything from before the experiments. Who was she? Why would she volunteer to be subjected to such horrors? She brought her hands up to hold her head as her rage turned to sadness and she shut her eyes, letting the tears run down her cheeks. Would she ever remember her past? Did she want to remember who she used to be? Rene opened her eyes and brought her hands down to look at her palms. Was Elliott right to not trust her? She didn’t know who she was or what she was capable of. She remembered the incident in the room when she had entered some sort of void. Rene examined her right arm, turning it over as if expecting the power to return. When nothing happened, she let out an exhausted sigh and threw her head back to stare up at the sky. Rene sat there for several moments before getting up. She glanced to look at where she had run from, where Elliott was, then to the opposite direction. She contemplated just running away and leaving everything behind her. A voice, the same soft voice from before, spoke in her mind. _HE needs you._ Rene looked back in the direction of where Elliott was, she was so confused as the conflicting messages she got from the voices. Most of them would tell her to leave him behind, that he was a burden and would get her killed. But then, since meeting Elliott, this one calm soft voice told her that she and Elliott needed each other. It hit Rene that since Elliott tried to rescue her, the voices were clearer and not so chaotic. She didn’t have a nightmare, but a dream last night and HE was in it. Was that voice right? Did she need him as much as he needed her right now?

Elliott felt so pathetic as he laid on the ground staring up at the sky. He ignored the pain in his torso as he sat up and glanced over his shoulder hoping to see Rene, but she wasn’t there. It had been a while since she ran off, and Elliott was beginning to wonder that he had driven her away by keeping the truth from her. He put his head into his hands, _I’m such an idiot. She saved my life for fucks sake. She obviously cares or she would have left me for dead back at the facility._ Elliott was lost in thought and didn’t notice Rene as she approached. She had her arms crossed, hugging her chest. She stopped a few feet from Elliott and stayed silent, watching the man before her silently beat himself up.

Elliott lifted his head and when he saw Rene his face lit up. “You came back.” The look of shame he had before flashed across his face as he spoke, “Rene...I’m sorry I-”

Rene held a finger up to silence Elliott before she spoke, “I understand why you did it Elliott. What kind of person would volunteer for the experiments they were running?” She hugged herself again and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know who that person was..” She relaxed and knelt down in front of Elliott, reaching out her hand and putting it over his. “I only know who I am right now.” She smiled, “And right now I want to be here to help you.” 

Elliott returned the smile and put his other hand over her’s, “Let’s start over.” 

Rene raised a brow and tilted her head to one side as Elliott lifted his hand and it held it out to her. 

“Hi, my name is Elliott.”

She smirked and put her hand in his and shook his hand, “Hi, my name is Rene.”

The two just sat and stared into each other’s eyes until Elliott’s phone began to buzz. He unlocked it and read the message. “We’ve got extraction coordinates. Luckily it’s not too far from here.” He placed the phone back into the pocket of his jacket.

Rene helped Elliott to his feet, and he used the tree as support as she gathered up his gear. He sighed and shook his head, “I don’t think I’ll be able to walk on my own.” He motioned to his left leg that he was favoring, “Guess taking a hammer to the knee isn’t good…” His attempt to make a joke out of the torture didn’t help Rene as she gave him a concerned look. He waved his free hand, “Don’t worry about it.” Elliott gave her a thumbs up and smiled. 

Rene couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she slung the rifle over her shoulder. “You can drop the tough guy act Elliott.” She walked over to Elliott and helped him put his jacket and other gear on so she wouldn’t have to carry it. When his gear was secured, Rene put her hands on his shoulders and stared directly into Elliott’s golden eyes as she spoke. “If you need to stop at any point, you WILL tell me, ok?”

Elliott, taken aback by her stern tone and look, nodded and let her take his arm and place it across her shoulders. She supported his weight and let him set the pace. The two had a lot of ground to cover, but had plenty of time to make it to the extraction point.

“The guy I’m communicating with.” Elliott was the first to speak as they started their journey. “I met him while perusing the darker parts of the web. The parts that most people don’t know exist.” Rene simply nodded as a sign she was following Elliott’s information, before he continued. “I wanted to find someone who could help me decrypt data, since I know just enough about programing to be considered dangerous. But for the data I am searching for, you need someone who can break down terabytes of security encryptions.” Elliott pat the pocket that held the drive, “The IMC rarely keeps the data I needed on a cloud based system, so I designed this drive and the guy created a program that would break into any terminal I physically plugged this into.” Rene was surprised at how much Elliott was telling her, but didn’t mind the conversation since it distracted them both from the pain in her shoulder and in his body. “It was funny when he and I decided to start working together. He INSISTED on using codenames, which I get, but it seemed silly to come up with a name for myself that wasn’t like Bob or something.” 

“So what does the ‘C’ stand for?” Rene decided to chime in, to show Elliott that she was indeed listening to him.

“He chose the name Crypto...Yeah I know what you’re thinking, he’s full of himself.” Elliott grinned, “I’m just kidding. He really is a genius when it comes to programming. Truth be told, he and I have never met in person. I only know him as Crypto and the various messages we send to each other.”

Rene pursed her lips as she tried to think of what name Elliott chose. Stealth? Soldier? Sleuth?

As if reading her mind he gave her the answer, “I chose Spector as my codename.”

Rene giggled as his response and he looked down at her confused. 

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing…” Rene continued to grin as Elliott stared down at her. He stopped walking and Rene looked up at him. “I just think it’s cute how you came up with your own superhero name.”

Elliott raised a brow, “Superhero?” He glanced down at his gear then back to Rene, “I wouldn’t exactly call myself a superhero, since I couldn’t save you…” He looked away from her to the ground. The conversation had inadvertently gone south as Elliott seemed to slip into a dark place, remembering what had happened to them both at the facility. 

Rene brought her hand up to gently bring Elliott’s eyeline back to her, “You may not be a superhero,” She stood up on her toes and gave him a light kiss to his bruised cheek. “But you are my hero.”

Elliott’s eyes widened as she kissed him and his cheeks where there were no bruises turned red. He stared down at the small woman before him, a blank expression on his face.

Rene gave Elliott a concerned look, “E-Elliott, you ok?”

Elliott blinked several times and a smile formed on his lips, “Y-yeah.” He cleared his throat and adjusted his weight on his good leg, “Shall we continue?” 

Rene returned the smile and nodded, letting Elliott lead the way.


	5. Chapter 5

For a while the pair just walked in silence. It wasn’t an awkward silence, but rather a silence brought on by serenity. When Elliott and Rene stopped again to rest, Elliott was the first to speak. “Do you know what you’ll do once we get out of here?”

Rene was rubbing her shoulder when Elliott’s question caught her off guard. She shook her head and lowered her arm. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead.” Elliott watched her as she seemed to search the ground at her knees for answers.

Elliott nodded and leaned back against a nearby boulder they had taken cover behind. “You’re welcome to come stay with me.” Rene was now looking at him and he quickly cleared his throat nervously as he met her gaze, “U-uh, until you figure out what you want to do. Y-you don’t have to if you don’t want to, though.” 

Rene smiled, “Thank-you Elliott. I really appreciate the offer.”

Elliott’s heart began to sink as he expected a “but” to follow her last sentence.

“I didn’t want to be a burden and ask, but knowing you’re ok with me staying with you a little longer, makes me feel better.”

Elliott returned the smile, “Of course. I would rather you be somewhere safe than end up on the streets or something…” His face grew a little serious as he spoke again, “Before we get to the extraction point, you may have to ditch your jacket.” He motioned to the IMC logo on the sleeve.

Rene nodded, “I figured as much.” She started to unzip the jacket when Elliott stopped her.

“I know it’s a little cold out so we can wait until we get a little closer, or you could always take mine.” 

Rene smirked and shook her head, “I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to show up in only a bloodied shirt. It may attract too many questions.”

Elliott thought for a moment then bobbed his head in agreement. “Touche.”

“I’ll ditch the jacket right before we get to the coordinates.” 

With that the pair readied themselves and continued towards their destination, Elliott periodically checking his phone to make sure they were on the right track. As they got closer, Rene ditched her IMC jacket in a collection of bushes and the two cautiously approached the extraction point.

Elliott wasn’t surprised that the extraction point was a clearing with little to no distinguishing markers around it. Crypto preferred to keep the extraction points secluded, but also give Elliott enough visibility to make sure everything was safe. Rene helped Elliott crouch down at the edge of the clearing in some brush. He put his helmet on and surveyed the area. “Everything is clear. I’m tracking the transport, it doesn't appear to be military in origin.” He glanced over at Rene, “When it lands, we’re going to have to be careful as we approach it. I’m sure Crypto gave them instructions to pick up one passenger, so they might get nervous with two people approaching. I wasn’t able to reach Crypto and let him know there would be two of us. He’s gone dark.” 

Rene nodded and raised her hand to shield her eyes to the light as she observed the incoming aircraft.

After a few minutes the ship landed in the center of the field. A door on the back end of the craft opened and a blue MRVN unit stepped out. When it saw Elliott and Rene standing at the edge of the clearing, a smiley face appeared on the center screen and it waved. Elliott, who had taken off his helmet, glanced down at Rene who was just as confused. Usually MVRN units were assigned to engineering tasks around military bases. So to see this one coming out of a transport ship, was a little strange. 

The pair slowly approached the ship, Elliott keeping a hand on his pistol and Rene ready to flip the rifle on her back to a shooting position if need be. As they got closer, the MRVN unit that had waved to them spoke. “Hello friends! My instructions were to retrieve one person codenamed  _ Spectre _ .” The cheerful voice coming from the unit was very strange to Elliott, who had come in contact with MRVN units before. 

Rene and Elliott exchanged another confused look with each other then Elliott spoke, “I’m Spectre, but there’s been a change in plans. She’s coming with me.” He motioned to Rene, who was curiously observing the MRVN.

The MRVN’s center screen flashed question marks before it spoke, “I’m sorry friend, but my specific instructions were to retrieve one person.”

Before Elliott could respond, a voice boomed from inside the ship, “What’s the holdup?” A large man with darker skin and black hair tied up into a bun stepped out of the ship behind the MRVN. He wore the typical orange flight suit that an emergency evac unit pilot would wear. That’s when it dawned on Elliott as to why the ship didn’t look military. It was an old model of an emergency MEDEVAC unit from the Search and Rescue Association of Solace. From the looks of the ship though, it had been decommissioned from standard use a long time ago. The man studied Elliott up and down a look of skepticism on his face, “Looks like you’ve seen better days, brotha.” His accent was thick and his voice was somewhat intimidating. 

Elliott nodded, “I have and what I was trying to explain to your MRVN unit here-.” 

He was interrupted by the man who held up his hand, “First off, brotha, he’s not MY unit. Ask him for yourself.” He pointed at the MRVN who flashed a smiley face.

“He’s right. My name is Pathfinder and I am his employee not possession.”

The man nodded, a large smile on his face. “Partners, Path, we are partners.” 

Elliott stared blankly at the two who were laughing with each other. He looked down at Rene who was smiling at the interaction. “You’re seeing this right?” He reached for her hand and held it up to his forehead, “Or am I running a high fever and hallucinating?”

Rene giggled and shook her head, “No, you’re fine Elliott.”

An exclamation point appeared on the screen as Pathfinder pointed at Elliott and Rene, “Our instructions were to pick up one person, Makoa. But this friend, who claims to be Spectre, said we are taking the other friend too.”

The man, who Pathfinder had addressed as Makoa, studied both Elliott and Rene for a moment then pulled out a phone. His dark eyes narrowed as he brought his gaze back to them. “Our instructions were only to expect one.” He looked Elliott up and down and then nodded, “But seein as how this gal is helpin ya walk, I’m fine with trustin your judgement my brotha.” He held up a single finger, “I will need you to give me the confirmation code.” Makoa grinned, “Just to make sure you are who you say you are.”

Elliott rolled his eyes, “Confirmation code alpha gamma six four charlie echo.” He hated having to remember so many codes, but he understood why Crypto was so secretive. The work they were doing was extremely dangerous and getting caught could mean their deaths.

Makoa entered the code onto his phone then boomed with laughter, “Alright. Let’s get goin then shall we?” He disappeared back into the ship and Pathfinder waited until Elliott and Rene got onboard to follow.

Once Rene and Elliott were situated in their seats, Pathfinder went up to the cockpit with Makoa. The two ran through the checks and controls, then proceeded for liftoff. 

Rene tightly gripped her safety harness and shut her eyes. Elliott reached over and placed his hand over one of hers. She opened her eyes and smiled at him as she held onto his hand. “T-thanks...I’ve never been flying before...At least I don’t think I have.” 

Elliott nodded, “I was pretty nervous my first time too.” The ship jerked suddenly and Rene gasped and squeezed his hand tighter, making him wince. He squeezed her hand lightly back, making her look at him. “It’s just some minor turbulence, nothing to be worried about.” Rene relaxed her grip, but still kept her hand in Elliott’s as she leaned over to rest her head onto his shoulder. When the ship reached a cruising altitude, Elliott let out a sigh and relaxed as well, letting his head rest on her’s. 

Makoa glanced behind him and chuckled at the sight. Pathfinder flashed a question mark on his screen. When he looked back he saw Elliott and Rene both with their eyes closed he returned to Makoa, “Should I go check on them?”

Makoa shook his head, chuckling again, “Nah, brotha. They look like they’ve been tru hell, let’em sleep.” 

Elliott and Rene both slept for the majority of the flight back to Ansford, the main capital of Solace. Transports of all types were going in and out at a steady pace. Elliott always routed his mission flights to and from Ansford. When the ship began its descent for landing, there was a sudden shift that caused Elliott and Rene to jolt awake. Rene was more surprised at the fact that for the first time since waking up at the IMC facility, she slept without having a dream or nightmare and the voices were quiet for once. 

The ship rocked back and forth, making Rene squeeze Elliott’s hand again. When they finally landed, Rene let go of his hand and smiled at him. “Thanks for holding my hand…” She blushed, “And letting me sleep on your shoulder…” 

Elliott returned the smile and shrugged, “As I said, my first time flying was nerve racking. Kinda wish I had someone to help me through it.” He undid the safety harness, showing Rene how to undo hers as well. “Plus, you being on my shoulder provided the perfect pillow for me.” He winked at her, making her smirk. They didn’t notice at first that their interaction was being observed until they heard a mechanical sound.

Pathfinder had question marks on his screen as he his head, tilted to one side, looked from Elliott to Rene. 

Elliott’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the MRVN unit, “How long have you been there just staring at us?”

Pathfinder’s screen changed to a smiley face as he cheerfully responded with, “I’ve been observing you for quite some time now.”

Rene tried to hold back a laugh as Elliott turned to her, a ‘Seriously?’ look on his face. 

Rene and Elliott exited the ship with Pathfinder and Makoa following behind them. The landing area was an abandoned helipad that was once used for the transport of goods from a business that had gone bankrupt. The rundown building of the business surrounded the helipad, making it the perfect spot for discrete takeoffs and landings.

Makoa held out a hand for Elliott to shake, a large grin on his face. “Pleasure workin with ya brotha.”

Elliott shook the larger man’s hand and nodded, “We appreciate your discretion with all of this. I’m sure Crypto has wired the funds to you.”

Makoa nodded, “Got the notification of payment as we landed. Appreciate your business.”

Pathfinder held out his hand to Elliott as well, a smiley face plastered on his screen. “Maybe we will see each other again Friend!”

Elliott gave a small smile and shook the robot’s hand. “Not likely.”

Makoa and Pathfinder both nodded to Rene then returned to the ship. Rene and Elliott watched as the ship disappeared over the buildings and into the clouds above. 

Rene looked up at Elliott as the sound of the ship disappeared into the distance, “Where to now?”

“Home.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up splitting this chapter into two for the flow to make sense. I apologize for it being so short, but the next one should be up soon. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Elliott motioned for Rene to go towards one of the doors leading into the loading docks of the closest abandoned building. Once inside Elliott entered a code into the small computer on his wrist and a storage container near one of the garage doors opened, revealing a motorcycle. 

Rene eyes widened at the sight, then curiously looked up at Elliott. “Are you going to be able to drive that in your condition.”

Elliott laughed nervously, “We’re gonna find out here in a minute.”

The pair hobbled over to the motorcycle and Rene helped Elliott get his leg over the seat to straddle the bike. She stood off to the side and observed Elliott trying to get comfortable on the bike and get a handle for the controls. It seemed as though certain movements brought on extreme pain, since he would stop and hold his eyes shut. After a while he looked at Rene and smiled. 

“Ok. All ready to go. You can wear the motorcycle helmet, I’ll just put my suit helmet on.”

Rene crossed her arms and stared at Elliott, a skeptical look on her face. “Are you sure?”

Elliott let out a sigh, “I’ll be fine Rene. Even if I wasn’t, we don’t have much of a choice since this is the only vehicle I have to get us where we need to go.”

Rene hesitated, then stepped forward and took the helmet from Elliott. She slipped it on and got on the bike behind him. She gingerly wrapped her arms around him, being careful to not hold on too tight. 

Elliott started the bike and took off out of the warehouse. Rene hugged Elliott close as they turned a corner. The bike swayed slightly as Elliott recovered from the sharp pain that caused. She immediately softened her grip, shouting an apology that she wasn’t sure he could even hear over the road noise and motor. Eventually they made their way out of the city and onto a long stretch of road that had beautiful scenery. Rene observed the various species of trees and how the various colors contrasted with the sky. The wind on her bare arms was cold, but when the sun came out from behind the clouds, the warm rays provided a nice contrast. 

They remained on that road for quite a while and Rene wondered if Elliott would need a break, but she didn’t even know how to communicate with him to ask. When they approached a sign, Elliott pointed to it and gave a thumbs up. The sign read:  **Welcome to Entosa** . She returned the thumbs up, assuming that is what he wanted from her. 

There wasn’t much to Entrosa, it being a more rural town than the industrial hub that was Ansford. Rene was surprised that this was even considered a town since it had just a few buildings scattered around what she figured was the ‘center’ of town. Elliott made a turn onto a dirt road that lead into a secluded wooded area. She took in the sights as they continued down the road until they reached a cabin with a large barn and small shed beside it. Elliott stopped the bike in front of the house and shut off the engine and put the kickstand out. He took off his helmet and set it on his knee. “This is it. Home.”

Rene took off her helmet and got off the bike. The cabin was picturesque, and beautiful compared to the cold industrial building Rene woke up in. A small porch sat off the front of the cabin and wrapped around to the back. The entire cabin was made of logs, except for the stones that lined the bottom and made up the chimney. A stone pathway snaked its way from the porch down to the driveway. Rene noticed a small collection of stones purposefully placed in front of the cabin with wildflowers around in and around them. There were two large stones and 4 smaller ones, each with an inscription on them. The largest of the words that Rene could make out on each one was ‘Witt’. She decided to wait to ask Elliott about them, since he looked exhausted. Rene offered her hand to Elliott, who seemed to be lost in thought. 

Elliott snapped out of his trance and accepted her hand, slowly getting off the bike. He stumbled slightly, but Rene caught him. “Thanks…I guess that ride was a little harder on me than I thought it would be.”

Rene helped him up the path and to the front of the cabin. She was surprised to find a bio-metric scanner as the lock and not a physical keyhole lock. Elliott put his thumb onto the pad and after she heard a click, the door opened. As they made their way inside, Rene was surprised at how modern the inside of the cabin looked when compared to the outside. The entrance they came through went right into a living space where a couch and large TV sat above a beautiful fireplace. Off to the right was a kitchen and dining area. Elliott pointed to the left, “The bedrooms and bathroom are that way.” He leaned himself against the wall and took off his boots. Rene did the same and watched him use the wall as support as he went into the kitchen. He pulled out a chair that was around a small table. He let out an exasperated sigh. “Feel free to make yourself at home. I’m sure you want to go take a shower and get cleaned up.”

Rene raised a brow, crossing her arms across her chest. “I think you need the shower more than me…” She motioned to the bloodied shirt that was exposed now that he had removed his gear and jacket. She approached him and lifted his shirt at his torso, despite him trying to protest. “You’re bleeding again…” 

Elliott pushed her hand away, “I’m fine. Go ahead and take care of yourself Rene.” He stood and hobbled over to a drawer in the kitchen and grabbed a towel. He winced as he pressed it against the blood soaked bandage across his torso. He leaned against the counter shutting his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, Elliott found Rene still standing in the kitchen, her hands now on her hips. “What?”

Rene rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Are you always this stubborn?” When Elliott’s reply was just a simple shrug, she sighed and left to go down the hall. She found two bedrooms, only one had a bed in it and the other seemed to now be used for storage. As she neared the end of the hall, she finally found the bathroom. There was a large shower, which Rene couldn’t wait for. She shut the door behind her and shed the IMC facility clothes and kicked them off to the side. The water didn’t take long to get hot, the room quickly filling with steam. The warm water on her skin almost made her moan since she didn’t know the last time she had taken an actual shower. She used the soap and washed off the blood and dirt from her body, taking time to make sure her injured shoulder was cleaned. She leaned against the cool tile for a moment as she lifted her face and let the warm water just run. Finally she got out and realized she didn’t have clean clothes to put on. She did NOT want to put the IMC facility clothes back on. She never wanted to put those on. Taking them off felt like the first step in shedding that terrible past. She wrapped her tiny figure in a towel and exited the bathroom. 

Rene found Elliott sitting at the table, his injured knee extended out in front of him. He had an opened beer on the table beside him and a sandwich of some kind in his hand. His eyes widened when Rene just casually walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. She pulled out another beer and pointed to the sandwich, “What’s that?” 

Elliott swallowed the bite that he had taken, “Peanut butter and jelly, it’s all I have right now…” He seemed to be avoiding looking directly at her for some reason. He took a sip of his beer and used the table to stand himself up. “I-I...uh...Should get cleaned up.”

Rene was in the process of pulling out the jelly when she spoke over her shoulder, “Are you sure you don’t want my help Elliott?”

Her offer was sincere, but Elliott was not going to put her in an awkward position of having to not only see him naked, but also for him to see her naked. He kept his head straight forward as he hobbled himself down the hall, “I-I be f-fine. No worries.” Elliott also knew full well that if he stayed out in the kitchen for much longer, he may not be able to hide how long it had been since he’d been with a woman. Seeing Rene in just a towel, knowing full well she was fully nude under it, made him forget they had almost died. He had never been in a relationship, so one night stands were common, but this time he felt different about Rene. Elliott shook off the idea,  _ C’mon Elliott...You just met the woman and you both almost DIED.  _ When he made it to the bathroom, he shut the door behind him and rested against it while more thoughts went through his head. He wondered how Rene felt about this whole situation. Overthinking situations seemed to be Elliott’s specialty. He sighed and stripped out of his clothes and entered the shower. It took him longer than usual to clean up since he had to be really careful of the various wounds on his body. Balancing most of his weight on one leg was also a challenge itself, but he managed to get clean.

\---

As Elliott made his way into the bathroom to shower, Rene decided to explore the house. She nibbled on her peanut butter and jelly sandwich while she walked down the hall. She poked her head into one of the bedrooms that seemed to only be for storage. A mountain of brown boxes were stacked meticulously, and while the room was cluttered, it was spotless. Rene noticed that the room had old posters handing on the wall. The room must have belonged to a child at some point. The posters were of action movies and the colors painted on the walls were bold and vibrant Rene continued down the hall past the bathroom, she paused momentarily to listen and make sure Elliott was ok. When she heard him let out a sigh, she smiled and continued down the hall towards the master bedroom. The room was surprisingly clean. There was a king sized bed in the center of the room with a dresser across from it with a mirror attached to the wall behind it. Rene entered the room, enjoying the feeling of the plush carpet on her bare feet. She had finished her sandwich by now and was just sipping on the beer when she sat on the edge of the bed. It dawned on Rene that she hadn’t seen one family photo in the cabin when she finally laid her eyes on a framed photo on the nightstand. She set her beer down and picked up the frame, examining the figures in the photo. There was a woman seated with a young boy in her lap and three young men behind her. The three young men were adorned in military uniforms of different ranks. The little boy in the woman’s lap was dressed in a little dress shirt, but was wearing one of the young men’s hats on his head, despite it not fitting well. The photo must have been taken shortly after the hat was placed on the boy’s head, because both he and the woman were laughing with the three looking down at the boy, smiles on their faces.The photo gave Rene a warm feeling of love and wondered if this was Elliott’s family. When she heard the water in the shower turn off, Rene returned the photo and got off the bed.

\---

As Elliott shut off the water, he reached out of the shower and grabbed a hand towel and held it over his torso, which hadn’t really stopped bleeding. He wrapped a towel around his waist and while keeping the hand towel firmly on his torso, he exited the bathroom. As he rounded the corner into his bedroom, he got a view of Rene’s bare back as she was putting on one of his shirts. Elliott quickly turned away, “S-Sorry!” The sudden movement, however, sent a jolt of pain through his body, making him almost fall over.

Rene rushed over, the shirt on now, and grabbed Elliott’s arm, giving him support. “It’s ok, Elliott. C’mon and get on the bed.” She led him over to the bed and noticed the hand towel over his torso was beginning to turn red. “Do you have a med kit somewhere?” 

Elliott sat on the edge of the bed and nodded. “Yeah, in the hall closet.”

After she found the med kit in the closet, Rene returned to the bedroom. Without looking at Elliott she said, “Lay back.”

Elliott hesitated, wondering if this angel would leave him...compromised...When Rene repeated herself in a more demanding tone, he complied, making sure that the towel around his waist didn’t move. 

Rene placed a hand on Elliott’s chest as she began to examine the wound. Her hand was cold against his warm skin. It was a little awkward how close her hands were to his groin, but as she examined the stitches she had done the day before, pain surged through him. 

“Sorry…Looks like one of the stitches broke.” She reached into the med kit and pulled out a surgical needle and thread. Rene looked at Elliott, who was staring at the ceiling. “Ready?”

Elliott shut his eyes as he replied, “Yep.”

Rene stitched up the opened wound and patched him back up. The full amount of damage Elliott had to his body was made abundantly clear now that he had no clothes on. He had bruises in places that she didn't see before, and his knee looked worse than he had previously let on. She also noticed scars on his chest, back and neck, that she hadn't before. Her heart sank when she noticed some very distinct scars on his wrists that she hadn’t noticed before either. Rene lost track of how long she was staring at Elliott’s body. Her attention snapped back when she locked eyes with Elliott, who was curiously looking at her now. 

“All done, doc?” He grinned up at her, not knowing that she had so many questions for him.

Rene offered a hand to help Elliott sit up. When she was still silent, his smile faded. “Everything ok Rene?”

Rene stared at the carpet then brought her eyes to meet Elliott’s again. "I have so many questions." She glanced over at the photo on the nightstand, "But I don't want to cause you pain Elliott." 

Elliott followed her gaze to the framed photo. He let out a sigh, "I can explain everything, but first," He gave a weak smile when Rene looked at him. "Can I put some clothes on?" 

Rene nodded and returned the smile, "I'll go make us some coffee." She left the room and shut the door behind her.

Elliott's smile faded as he reached for the photo. He stopped short and grabbed Rene's beer bottle and finished it off, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He found himself some comfortable clothes and fastened a leg brace he retrieved from his closet. He limped down the hall and paused at the entrance to the living room. 

Rene was sitting on one end of the couch, a blanket wrapped around her as she stared at the unlit fireplace in the middle of the living room. Elliott picked up a remote on a nearby table and pressed a button, turning on the fireplace. Rene jumped at the sight as it brought her back from her thoughts. She glanced over at Elliott and a small smile crossed her lips, “I wasn’t sure how to turn it on.” She watched him limp into the kitchen and retrieve two mugs from a cabinet and pour coffee into them. He handed it to her and set the other onto the coffee table. As he situated himself on the couch next to her and propped his leg up, she noticed the brace. “Where did you get that?”

Elliott grabbed his mug and looked at the brace, “It was in my closet.”

Rene raised a brow studying the brace. “You’ve obviously had a similar injury before?”

Elliott let out a soft laugh and shook his head, “Not quite like this, but it’s a funny story.” He took a sip of his coffee and smiled at Rene who watched Elliott curiously, waiting for him to explain. “It was one of my first,” He thought for a moment, “I guess you could call it a mission, but long story short...There actually is a right and wrong way to land when jumping out of an aircraft.”

Rene smirked as she sipped on her coffee and shook her head, “Jeez Elliott, I think that’s common sense…”

Elliott rolled his eyes and waved his hand at Rene, “I thought it was going to be easy, ok?” 

Rene held back a giggle then her face gradually grew sullen as she stared into the swirling coffee in her mug. “How many of these ‘missions’ have you been on?”

Elliott blinked a few times, trying to count in his head then shrugged, “I’m honestly not sure, why?”

Rene brought her eyes to meet Elliott’s. Her expression was still sullen as she spoke, “I noticed all of the scars.” Elliott diverted his eyes from Rene, suddenly feeling self conscious and ashamed. Rene continued, “You said at the facility that you were looking for answers and asked me about three men, James, Sean and…” Her voice trailed off as she attempted to remember the last name, but Elliott spoke.

“Trever...They’re my brothers.” He continued to stare off into the living room, avoiding Rene. “They were all in the Militia during the war with the IMC. When I was around six my Mom and I were told they were Missing in Action.” He let out a sigh and stayed silent. 

“I’m so sorry Elliott...You don’t have to continue if it’s too hard.”

Elliott shook his head, “I’ve been alone for so long.” He finally brought his gaze to Rene and gave her a weak smile as he continued, “But you’re here and I feel like I can talk to you about this.” Rene returned the smile and nodded. Elliott took in a breath and continued to tell Rene about his mother and how she spent years trying to find the answer to finding her sons. When he reached the point of his mother’s passing, his hands began to shake. “After she died...I-I...didn’t think I could finish her work...I saw no hope.” He turned his arm over and stared at the scar going down his wrist. “As I watched the blood pool on the floor, I heard a voice tell me to not give up.” Elliott paused and brought his gaze to meet Rene. “I don’t remember how I ended up at the hospital, but I did.” He smiled, “Guess I had some sort of guardian angel watching over me that night.”

“I’m glad you’re here Elliott.” Rene set her coffee down on the table and put her hand on his. “I don’t think I would be here without you.” She scooted closer to Elliott and placed her head on his shoulder, watching the fire in front of them. 

Elliott set his coffee down and wrapped his arm around Rene. They sat there for a while in silence, watching the fire and enjoying each other’s company. Rene had started to doze off when Elliott started to do some shopping on his phone. Luckily he had grabbed it before sitting down because he didn’t want to disturb Rene as she started to fall asleep. He enjoyed the company, Rene’s small body curled up next him felt perfect. Elliott glanced down at her and confirmed that she had fallen asleep. He smiled and went back to getting together a grocery order. 

~Rene found herself in a strange building, again not in control of her body. “ _ Another dream? _ ” She didn’t even know she had fallen asleep, being next to Elliott was so calming that she basically drifted off without forcing herself to sleep. She found herself smiling, but not because of her thought of being with Elliott, but rather the scene in front of her. It was Elliott in the weird gear from her last dream and the MRVN unit they had met earlier in the day, Pathfinder. They were having a discussion over what looked to be a supply bin with glowing armor and weapons inside. Suddenly voices entered Rene’s mind,  _ THEY KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. YOU'VE BEEN SPOTTED. GRENADE!  _ Rene wanted to call out to Elliott who noticed the grenade too late. She had flung herself backwards into a portal just as the grenade exploded. She emerged from another portal a short distance away and observed the team enter the building. One of them was the man who flew the airship, his name was Makoa if she was remembering right. Rene pointed a sniper in their direction and waited for them to leave the building. As she approached the building her heart sank, she wanted to scream and cry but her body was moving towards Elliott’s body. Everything went black as Rene woke up screaming.~

“RENE! What’s wrong?!? What happened!?” Elliott’s voice made Rene’s eyes shoot open. She was on the other side of the room on her side. Elliott was in the process of getting off the couch when she glanced down at her right arm. It was emanating the same purple energy it had before at the facility. The pain radiated down her arm then went throughout her entire body, making her curl up into a ball and hold herself. Her head was pounding as waves of yells and whispers flooded her mind. They all spoke at once and Rene couldn't distinguish anything from the chaos. She brought her hands up to hold her head as she continued to scream. By now Elliott was on the floor beside Rene. He gently put a hand on her back, speaking softly now. “Rene, what happened?” 

Elliott’s touch made her flinch at first, but it seemed to ease the pain in her body. Eventually she relaxed and sat up to face him, tears were falling down her cheeks as she focused on Elliott. Rene reached out and placed her hand on his cheek, “I-I…” She looked around then it dawned on her that she had somehow moved off the couch. “Why am I on the floor?”

Elliott brought his hand to hold Rene’s, “You started screaming in your sleep.” He looked at her arm, some bruises had formed on it, “Then your arm started to glow, like it did in the facility. Next thing I know, you were over here screaming and on your side.”

Rene’s eyes widened and she pulled her hand away to study it. “I...I had a nightmare.” She spoke softly as she wiped away the tears. She brought her gaze up to Elliott who still wore a look of concern on his face. “I-I...watched you...or rather a version of you...die.”

Elliott pulled Rene into a hug and held her close to him as he spoke. “It was only a nightmare, Rene. I’m fine and you’re safe.” Her body relaxed into his hold as he ran his hand up and down her back. 

Rene shuddered and brought herself closer to Elliott, nuzzling his chest holding back a sob. “It...It felt so real…Whenever I have those dreams...I never know what is real and what isn’t…” Elliott brought his hand up and poked Rene on the nose. She sat up and gave him a confused look. “What was that for?”

“Did that feel real?” Elliott smirked, he hoped this attempt to lighten the mood would help Rene.

Rene narrowed her eyes at Elliott at first then shrugged averting her eyes from Elliott. “I guess…”

Elliott’s smirk faded and he watched Rene’s face grow more sullen. He mustered up his courage, hoping his next move wouldn’t backfire. In a swift but gentle motion, Elliott reached over and brought Rene’s chin up and kissed her on the lips.

Rene’s eyes widened and she froze from the sudden gesture. Her cheeks grew red as her stomach fluttered.

Elliott pulled away and watched Rene’s face, hoping to get some sort of reaction. They stared at each other until Elliott spoke, “D-did that feel real?” He felt so stupid for a moment until a small smile formed on Rene’s lips.

“Yes.” 

Elliott smiled proudly at the success of: A. Not being rejected and B. Making Rene smile. An awkward silence filled the room as neither knew what to really do next. Elliott had kissed women before, but when he kissed Rene, it was ‘different’. He had never experienced the rush of excitement and passion that he felt when he held her or when she had kissed him before. Elliott cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head, “U-uh...Are you hungry?” He wanted so badly to hit rewind and take back what he had just said.  _ C’mon Elliott...Why are you acting like a 16 year old virgin… _ His thoughts must have somehow shown on his face because Rene’s smile grew.

Rene could tell Elliott was nervous, she was too. Having lost her memories, this was a whole new experience. Sure, the two had only known each other for a little over a day, but they had gone through so much. She wanted so badly to kiss him again and feel that rush of excitement run through her body. Rene studied Elliott’s face for a moment as he continued to wait for her response to his question. She could tell he was beating himself up for asking about food after such an emotional moment. This awkwardness made him more genuine and real to her. Without saying anything Rene leaned forward and took Elliott’s face in her hands and began to kiss him. For a split second Elliott was surprised, but he was quick to pull her closer and matched her passion. Rene ran her hands around the back of his head and into his hair, letting the curls run through her fingers. When Rene pulled away to look into Elliott’s eyes. After a quiet moment, she smiled and simply said, “Can we get pizza?”

Elliott stared blankly at Rene for a moment then the pair began to laugh. Her comment after such a passionate moment told Elliott that she too was entering uncharted territory emotionally. He nodded, “Pizza sounds good to me.”

Elliott used his phone to order pizza, groceries and showed Rene how to order herself some clothes. Once everything was delivered by drone, the two sat on the couch and watched some TV while enjoying their pizza. Not much was said between the two while they watched a documentary about the animals in Kings Canyon. Eventually Rene broke the silence, “What do you do to afford all of this?” 

Elliott took a sip of cola to wash down a bite of pizza before replying, “When my Mom died, she had a pretty large life insurance policy. That along with the leftover funds my Mom received from the government for my brother’s disappearances funded a lot of my research.” He shrugged and pointed to the TV as a commercial for the Ansford police force came on. “I sold a lot of patents from my Mom’s old research to sustain myself and fund future projects. Some of it was a primitive decoy tech that the police now use in training exercises.” 

Rene nodded as she watched the commercial and took a bite of her pizza. Her brow furrowed when she remembered something the commander had said at the facility, “How does the IMC not know who you are if you’ve invented technology used by government entities?”

“I make sure to use an alias when I sell off patents.” Elliott motioned to his suit that was sitting by the front door. “I don’t want people to ever trace the tech back to me in case I was ever actually seen infiltrating a facility.”

Rene nodded, “Kinda makes sense...But don’t you want people to know how brilliant you are?”

“It was never my goal to be noticed by society. I prefer to stay anonymous.”

After the pair had finished eating, Rene scooted closer to Elliott and curled up next to him. He put his arm around her and they sat in silence watching various nature shows. A couple hours went by and Elliott found himself starting to nod off. He let out a yawn and looked down at Rene who was content and still watching the TV. “Do you want me to sleep on the couch tonight?”

Rene sat up and gave Elliott a look of confusion, “Why would you sleep on the couch?”

Elliott shrugged and looked away, “Well u-uh...I figured you would want the bed is all.”

“Why can’t we both sleep in the bed?”

Elliott brought himself to look at Rene who had a genuine look of curiosity as she waited for his response. All thoughts had left his mind and he stumbled on what to say, “I was trying to be curt-cort-respectful of your space is all.”

Rene smiled warmly and got up from the couch, “I’m fine with sharing with you.” She held out her hand to Elliott, who accepted the help off the couch. 

The pair went down the hall and into the bedroom. Elliott waited for Rene to choose a side of the bed and he situated himself on the opposite side. He laid back and found the most comfortable position, which ended up being on his back. Despite taking some pain meds after getting out of the shower, his body ached. As he started to shut his eyes and drift off to sleep, he felt Rene move closer to him. Elliott opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the darkness. The moonlight was shining through the shades just enough for Elliott to make out Rene’s face looking at him from the pillow beside him. “Everything ok, Rene?”

Rene nodded, the material from the pillow making a soft noise as her cheek moved against it. “Would…” She spoke in a soft whisper, “Would you hold me like you did before?”

“Of course.” Elliott heard the rustle of the blankets as Rene moved closer to him. She laid her head on his pillow and positioned herself below his chin. He wrapped his arm around her and felt her breasts press up against his chest as she draped her arm across his chest. Elliott smiled as he heard Rene let out a content sigh as she got situated. She fit perfectly beside him.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been years since I've written anything for people to view, so constructive criticism is welcomed. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the first, of hopefully many, chapters of this fic.
> 
> Thanks! <3


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